Free Expungement Clinic In Arlington For People With Eligible Charges

ARLINGTON, VA — The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church and the Clerk of the Circuit Court are hosting their second annual Expungement Clinic on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The expungement clinic will provide everything attendees need to request arrests that did not result in convictions be removed, or expunged, from their record. The "one-stop shop" for people with expungement-eligible local charges will be held at Arlington Presbyterian Church at 918 S. Lincoln Street in Arlington.

Volunteer pro bono defense attorneys will be at the clinic to offer help to attendees. A fund will be available for attendees to cover the cost of expungements — $91 — on a first-come, first-served basis.

Expungement is a process by which a record is officially erased or removed after a defendant is not convicted. Inaccuracies on criminal records can present challenges to people seeking employment, housing and other important opportunities, according to the commonwealth's attorney.

People wishing to apply for an expungement during the clinic should bring their warrant of arrest or final disposition for each charge that they want to have expunged. The charges must be for arrests made in Arlington County or the City of Falls Church to be eligible for expungement at Saturday's clinic.

Attendees are encouraged to pre-register for the clinic no later than Thursday, Sept. 28. People who do not pre-register by Sept. 28 can still participate in the clinic. But they should arrive no later than 10:30 a.m. on Saturday to complete the required paperwork and should expect to wait up to two hours for their application to be processed.

People should make sure they do not have any active warrants before completing the pre-registration form or attending the event, the commonwealth attorney's office said.

Clinic sponsors include Offender Aid and Restoration, Arlington Thrive, Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, NAACP Arlington Branch, Arlington Coalition of Black Clergy, League of Women Voters of Arlington/Alexandria and Restorative Arlington.