Clean Slate clinic set for tomorrow

A no-cost clinic intended to help people determine expungement eligibility for criminal cases involving nonviolent crimes is set for Tuesday.

The Clean Slate clinic scheduled tomorrow night at National Avenue Christian Church, 1515 S. National Ave., is being organized by the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association and Legal Services of Southern Missouri. The clinic comes on the heels of the June 8 deadline for Missouri circuit courts to have expunged all marijuana-related misdemeanors. Amendment 3, a constitutional amendment which was passed by Missouri voters in November, legalized recreational marijuana and had an expungement clause for some nonviolent misdemeanor and felony offenses.

As of June 9, roughly 46,680 marijuana-related offenses have been expunged, according to Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator data. Over 1,800 of those cases are from Greene County, but officials acknowledge the process, both locally and statewide, has a long way to go. Some counties, including Hickory in southwest Missouri, are yet to expunge any cases, according to the data.

“It’s a laborious process; there’s no doubt about it. Whenever you change a law and you go back and expunge something, it’s tedious,” said Scott Pierson, a partner with Twibell Pierson Criminal Law, who also is involved in tomorrow’s Clean Slate clinic. “If you need an expungement done quickly, I wouldn’t wait on the court system. You’re going to have to file something and get that done.”

Expenses incurred by circuit courts in the expungement of cases will be paid for or reimbursed by revenue from the 6% statewide marijuana sales tax, according to the amendment’s language.

Pierson said this week’s clinic is intended, in part, to reduce confusion for those who may be uncertain if their case qualifies for expungement. Following a presentation by Pierson and a Q & A session at the clinic, volunteer lawyers will be available for individual consultations. Legal Services of Southern Missouri pays expungement filing fees for those who qualify in its service area, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

Clean Slate clinics, which debuted in 2019, help low-income individuals with prior convictions apply for expungement. Clinic registration is required at SpringfieldBar.com.

Pierson said the process for the court system to expunge marijuana-related cases that qualify will likely continue through the rest of the year, if not beyond. He said those uncertain if their case qualifies or are unable to attend the clinic should contact the court system to verify. Those with eligible cases also can check with court officials for a status update on if it has been reviewed for expungement.

“It’s important for people to look at their own record,” he said. “The idea that we can always rely on the government to get it done, and get it done right, is asking a lot, especially when they’re going through thousands and thousands of cases.”

Another Clean Slate clinic is scheduled in December in advance of the Dec. 8 expungement deadline for marijuana-related felonies, Pierson said. The location is still to be determined.