MSU Law Students Plan Event to Help Returning Citizens Wipe Criminal Records Clean

Breia Lassiter, Audrea Dakho, Sam Weiser, Alex Padla (left to right)

By Jake Jenkins

Jan. 17, 2023

Some 45 MSU Law students are volunteering at an event this weekend to help Lansing-area residents who have criminal histories wipe their records clean.

The Expungement Fair is Saturday, Jan. 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Breslin Center on MSU campus. The student volunteers will help returning citizens and others affected by legal matters determine if they are eligible for expungement and, if so, help them fill out an application – and waive the fee.

The fair is planned by officers of two MSU student organizations, Audrea Dakho and Breia Lassiter of the Criminal Defense Association (CDA) and Alex Padla and Sam Weiser of the International Cannabis Bar Association Michigan State University Student Chapter (INCBA-MSU).

“Invisible punishment follows people long after they’ve served their sentence and completed their probation,” said Dakho, president of CDA. “They can’t get a job, they can’t rent an apartment, they can’t chaperone their kids on a school field trip.”

In 2020, the state of Michigan passed a series of expungement laws, called the “clean slate package,” that permits those with certain offenses to clear their records. Because the application process can be complex and costly, MSU Law students wanted to help.

“It’s a daunting process,” said Weiser, INCBA’s vice president. “We can make it easier.”

The students say this is the first student-led Expungement event since the laws were enacted three years ago.

“It’s important to us to affect positive change,” said Padla, INCBA’s president. “As students, we want to use our legal education in a way that helps the community and enriches our experience at MSU Law.”

In addition to planning the Expungement Fair, the four student leaders have been raising funds to cover the $50 application.

The organizers are still requesting donations. Law students, attorneys and notary public officers are needed to volunteer. Fair attendees are invited to fill out the pre-screening form.

The student leaders reached out to and received support from Michigan Attorney General's Office, Safe and Just Michigan, Nation Outside.

To contact the organizers:
Audrea Dakho, president, CDA; dakhoaud@msu.edu
Breia Lassiter, vice president, CDA; lassit10@msu.edu
Alex Padla, president, INCBA-MSU; padlaale@msu.edu
Sam Weiser, vice president, INCBA-MSU; weisersa@msu.edu