Michigan officials say the new laws will expand the state’s workforce and broaden the tax base. According to a study conducted by the University of Michigan’s law school, people who have convictions set aside see about a 23% increase in their income within one year. State officials announced Monday that hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents can potentially benefit from having their criminal record expunged under the new laws - especially financially.
An individual who has a conviction set aside is not excused from paying restitution owed to a victim of a crime, according to the state. Individuals who have a conviction set aside are not entitled to refunds of any fines or costs paid as a consequence of that conviction, according to House Bill 4980. However, a conviction that is set aside can still be considered a “prior conviction” by courts, law enforcement agencies and attorneys for the purpose of charging an individual with a second or subsequent offense. Once a conviction has been set aside by the state, the individual will not legally be considered to have been previously convicted of that crime. Courts will still have access to criminal records that have been expunged. Individuals cannot have more than two felony convictions or four misdemeanor convictions set aside during their lifetime. The state will develop and maintain an online program to facilitate criminal record expungement.
Michigan courts will communicate with arresting law enforcement agencies to notify them of convictions eligible to be expunged. I am proud to sign these bills today alongside Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist and many of the bipartisan leaders who worked on them.” “This is also an opportunity to grow our workforce and expand access to job training and education for so many people. These bipartisan bills are a game changer for people who are seeking opportunities for employment, housing, and more, and they will help ensure a clean slate for hundreds of thousands of Michiganders,” Whitmer said in a press release Monday. The bills, initially introduced in 2019, will help a number of people become eligible for jobs or housing that they may not have been eligible for due to their criminal record. On Thursday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed seven bipartisan bills into law that can provide a “clean slate” to residents who have committed certain felonies and misdemeanors. Hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents may be eligible to have their criminal record expunged under new laws, according to the state.
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