BRUNSWICK COUNTY — Cleaning up a record isn’t cheap. But for five Fridays in March, Brunswick County’s District Attorney’s Office will help walk eligible participants for expungement through the process for free.
The inaugural project, announced Wednesday, includes legal assistance provided by volunteer attorneys and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law students.
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Brunswick County’s District Attorney’s Office will begin accepting expunction applications on March 1. Applications will be accepted every Friday in March, with the last day to apply scheduled on Friday, March 29.
“Everybody wants to get their record clean,” Assistant District Attorney, Jason Minnicozzi, said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re innudated with thousands of applicants.”
Four categories of expunctions will be processed during the program, including:
- Dismissals or findings of innocence
- Misdemeanor convictions of minors
- Controlled substance convictions of those under 22 years old at the time of conviction
- Non-violent felonies and misdemeanors except those as outlined in General Statute 15A-145.5
Minnicozzi, thinking back to his years in private practice, said typically legal costs associated with expungements range between $500 and $2,000.
“We’ve never undertaken anything like this before,” he said about the new initiative. “But we’re always getting phone calls about these types of petitions and these types of projects.”
The project does not create any new leniency designations, Minnicozzi confirmed. It’s designed for people that would otherwise be eligible. Past convictions or dismissals still show up on background checks, which can make landing a job difficult, he said.
“Our whole community will thrive when more people are employed and are given an opportunity to be productive,” he said.
Though Fridays are usually packed across the river in New Hanover County, Minnicozzi said the District Attorney’s Office is gearing up for an unknown turnout.
Interested applicants can contact the District Attorney’s Office in Bolivia for more information at 910-253-3910.
“Seeking justice is our office’s obligation and duty,” he said. “And sometimes that’s allowing people second chances.”
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