On May 21, The Detroit Free Press published an editorial supporting House Bill 4106 which would allow a person convicted of certain felonies to apply to have the conviction expunged from his or her record. The bill was proposed by Representative Stacy Erwin Oakes (D - Saginaw), who believes expunging a felony can allow an ex-offender to lead a more productive life.
Michigan law already allows a person with one misdemeanor charge to petition the court to have that conviction removed from his or her record. HB 4106 would go further by allowing an individual to apply to have a felony expunged, even if that individual has up to two misdemeanor charges in addition to the felony.
The Detroit Free Press editorial stated that 1.3 million Michigan citizens have a felony conviction. That number translates to one in six adults living in the state. Declaring that a felony conviction carries “lifetime penalties,” the editorial went on to say that a felony conviction can “ restrict where people live or go to school, what professions they can enter and, most pointedly, whether an employer will hire them.” These restrictions do not make sense, and by denying ex-offenders jobs can actually cause them to resort to illegal activities to support themselves, according to the editorial. The editorial concluded that with the information age many types of criminal convictions become “life sentences.”
Those who have committed violent crimes would not be able to have their felony conviction expunged. Michigan’s attorney general and prosecutors would have the right to contest any application requesting a felony to be expunged, and the court would make the decision to approve, or deny, the application. But for many Michigan residents with felony convictions , the measure, if passed, would open the doors to a better life.
Source: Detroit Free Press 5/21/11
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