Collaboration with Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Cook County Public Defender, Elected Officials and Other Agencies Helps Hundreds get Second Chances at Being Productive Citizens
Honorable Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Cabrini Green Legal Aid, and an array of judicial, governmental, legal, community and religious organizations and agencies, recently held the 15th Annual Second Chance, Adult and Juvenile Expungement Summit and Job Information Seminar at Westinghouse College Preparatory High School, 3223 W. Franklin Blvd., Chicago.
This year, Clerk Brown implemented a new, advance registration process for the Expungement Summit that was used by 592 individuals. More than 735 people attended the Summit, and petitions were filed to expunge 1,323 cases, and to seal 649 cases.
Clerk Brown’s 2019 Second Chance Expungement Summit was a massive collaborative effort with Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Get Cleared, Chicago, the Cook County Public Defender, Chicago Police Dept., Illinois Prisoner Review, Safer Foundation, Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Cook County Juvenile Probation Department, city and county elected officials, several media outlets, and many governmental, social service, healthcare, and religious organizations. Cook County Circuit Court judges were on site to approve petitions to waive filing fees. More than 40 exhibitors hosted resource tables at the Summit.
“I am elated by the cooperative spirit of all the diverse agencies and organizations that worked together to provide attendees with the services they need to handle background issues and access available resources to get their lives back on track,” Clerk Brown said.
