Ohio’s criminal record law offers new lease on life

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — Sealing and expunging criminal records is a way for people to regain access to safe housing and better jobs. For many, it’s a way to start over.

In 2022, the Ohio legislature passed a law to make this process easier, so NBC4 Investigates looked into the numbers, asking: Just how many people is this helping in central Ohio?

“Sometimes just knowing is the first step to helping somebody,” a Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio (LASCO) client who expunged his record said.

A man NBC4 Investigates spoke with had his record expunged a few years ago and now is sharing his story in the hopes it teaches others how to turn their life around.

According to the numbers, the Ohio legislature’s actions to make sealing and expunging records easier have worked.

“It was almost like a fresh start to life, honestly. I mean it was a big relief,” the LASCO client said. This man, with Legal Aid’s help, was able to expunge his record.

“One of the more humbling things, I wanted to coach one of my son’s little league teams and they did a background check and I wasn’t able to,” he said.

It also impacted his ability to get housing; many places won’t accept people with a criminal record.

“That was kind of something that really wanted me to see what I could do to kind of clear up the mistakes I made in my past,” the LASCO client said.

This past summer, Columbus invested about $250,000 in agencies that help people seal and expunge records. These organizations have resource fairs and host clinics.

“If someone’s record is sealed, then no one in the public can see it,” Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Jessica D’Varga said. “If their record gets expunged, then it’s completely destroyed.”

Not everyone is eligible: the most severe felonies cannot be cleared. None can include convictions for offenses of violence or felony sex offenses.

“Our probation department actually reviews all the files, confirms whether or not someone is eligible to have their records sealed and expunged,” D’Varga said.

However, for those who are eligible, it’s a chance at a fresh start.

In 2022, the Ohio legislature also made it easier for Ohioans to go through this process. That year, the Franklin County Clerk of Courts received 153 requests to seal records. That number jumped to 1,225 in 2023.

The Franklin County prosecuting attorney received 1,287 applications for expungement and record sealing. That number almost doubled to 2,099 in 2023.

“I’ve bought a house, I’ve started a business,” the man said. “I mean, I’ve done a lot of things since then. And, I mean, it’s just a breath of a relief, just kind of like a weight off your shoulders just to proceed through life and just not be held back by things you may have done when you were younger.”

As of August, the Franklin County prosecuting attorney’s office had received more than 1,000 applications for record sealing and expungement. The clerk of courts has seen more than 1,500.

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