FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 11, 2022
Contact: Danielle Miller, dmiller@dillard.edu
504.816.4328
NEW ORLEANS —The Center for Racial Justice (CRJ) at Dillard University and the Power Coalition have partnered with the Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana, Southeast Legal Services, Darren Lombard Clerk of Criminal District Court, and Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office in a historic stakeholder effort regarding expungements. The Center for Racial Justice and the Power Coalition are to donate more than $10,000 to satisfy the filing fees necessary to expunge records for moderate to low income New Orleans citizens. Expungement Day will take place on Wednesday, January 11 at 5 p.m., at Propeller, located at 4035 Washington Avenue, Suite 203. CRJ will hold a press conference ahead of the event at 4 p.m. This is the first paid Expungement Day offered to help the New Orleans community.
Participants are asked to bring their background check, court minutes, and a copy of their bill of information. Attorneys will be present free of charge to complete expungement petitions. All participants will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants will be responsible to complete the expungement process as pro se litigants.
For clarification, expungement means removal of a record from public access but does not mean destruction of the record. An expunged record is confidential, but remains available for use by law enforcement agencies, criminal justice agencies, and other state agencies as stated under Louisiana law. The biggest challenge for many people with a record is finding a job. Many individuals with a misdemeanor would benefit from this opportunity by attending the Expungement Day. The Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana (JAC) is a leader in the state in expungement practice, support and advocacy. JAC provides free legal help to individuals seeking to get their records expunged. JAC also regularly offers monthly reentry legal and expungement clinics, driver’s license clinics, know your rights sessions, and fair chance hiring sessions, in addition to training on how individuals can file their own expungement without an attorney by utilizing JAC’s online app.
The mission of the Center for Racial Justice is to bring systemic change to the way policing is done in communities of color and to promote partnerships with law enforcement including police departments, sheriff’s offices, graduate and professional schools. The goal of the Center for Racial Justice is to change the way people of color and their communities are policed through education, community relationship building, civic engagement training, services, partnerships, and utilization of relevant resources.
About Dillard University
Dillard University is a historically Black institution that cultivates leaders who live ethically, think and communicate precisely, and act courageously to make the world a better place. Located in New Orleans, Dillard is a private faith-based liberal arts university that offers 22 majors and two certificate programs. Ranked 5th on 2021 The New York Times Overall Mobility Index and 14th in 2022 by Academic Influence for Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship, Dillard’s call to future leaders is to Write Your Legacy. Find out more about Louisiana’s oldest HBCU by visiting www.dillard.edu.
