“How can I support my family when no one will hire me?”
“Where am I supposed to live when no one will rent to me?”
“I want to be a role model for my kids, but I’m ashamed of my life.”
This is reality for thousands of people in Lake County.
They are stuck behind the barriers created by their old criminal records – unemployment, unstable housing, and stigma.
Coalition Legal is here to help with every step from awareness to adjudication. What does that mean, and how can you participate?
In this article, you’ll discover the story of Robert – someone who is representative of almost every client we encounter.
You’ll see exactly what it takes to transform someone’s life and how every dollar donated supports a process that took this man – like many others — from unemployed to hired in 10 months.
Finding Hope: At a community event, he picked up a flyer.
“I had no idea someone cared and would help me for free.”
As a young man, Robert* got busted for dealing drugs and went to jail for five years. After serving time, he returned to Lake County and started to rebuild his life.
He applied for job after job, and each one fell through when his background check revealed his old criminal record.
At a community event, he picked up a flyer: Coalition Legal: Transform Your Life.
He spoke to Martice Wright, a Coalition Legal Outreach Specialist, who told him about the expungement opportunity, our free legal aid, and a team of people who would guide him through the legal process. It was all news to Robert.
Martice and others at Coalition Legal work to raise awareness about the chance to clear old criminal records and the difference it can make in someone’s life. They go to fairs and festivals, they talk with individuals at the grocery store and the hair salon, they talk to large groups at organizations.
Raising awareness about Coalition Legal, our free legal aid, and the life-changing impact of expungement/sealing gave Robert hope and direction. He knew exactly what to do next.
DONATE: Your contribution will help others like Robert learn about Coalition Legal.
Is he eligible? It’s a tedious process that can require hours of work.
After learning about the expungement opportunity and Coalition Legal’s free services, Robert* used his phone to access our website, coalitionlegal.org, and fill out the application, available in English and Spanish.
He entered personal information and details about his old criminal record. Immediately, his data showed up in our case management system, and Executive Administrative Assistant Roxana Tellez Alvey began her review.
She looks at every detail the client provides, searches public records to verify old criminal records, and, with guidance from our staff attorneys, determines if a client is eligible for expungement under the law.
Some cases like DUIs, sex crimes, and child abuse are not eligible. Individuals also must have completed a two- or three- year waiting period, paid restitution, and maintained a clean record.
They must show they’ve accepted responsibility for their wrongdoings and changed their behavior.
Robert passed the waiting period, paid his fines, and had no open cases. He’d also gotten involved with his church, enrolled in a vocational program, and volunteered as a youth mentor.
He’d met all the criteria for eligibility.
Roxana filed petitions with the court on his behalf.
It’s a tedious process that can require hours of work and an expertise in navigating the court system.
DONATE: Want to make sure all applicants get the attention they deserve?
Your donation helps our staff review a client’s application and background and determine if they are ready for step three: preparing for court.
Preparing for Court: We help clients with every step before their hearing
Grateful for the news that he was eligible for expungement, Robert* learned he had some work to do to prepare for a court hearing that was coming up in six months.
Client Services Manager Emily Wence told him she’d arranged for him to get a drug test at no cost, and she explained he’d need letters of support from people who knew him best.
He asked his pastor, his teacher, and several family members and friends to write about him.
The week before court, he met via Zoom with a Coalition Legal staff attorney who had reviewed his records and would represent him in court.
While the court system is intimidating for clients, our attorneys are veterans of the legal system. They are educated, experienced, trained, and proven. With support from Emily and Roxana, they have exactly what they need to handle each case.
Robert’s attorney put him at ease right away, explaining what to expect in court and encouraging him to speak openly and honestly to the judge.
After years of struggle under the weight of an old criminal record, and several months of guidance from Coalition Legal, Robert is ready.
DONATE to ensure every client is fully prepared for their day in court.
Robert Gets His Day in Court
Six months had passed since Robert first learned about Coalition Legal through our outreach specialist and filled out the online application.
He’d waited while our staff reviewed his old criminal records and determined his eligibility.
He’d completed the required drug test, gathered the necessary letters of support, and met with his attorney via Zoom to prepare for his day in court.
Dressed in a simple button-down shirt and tie with dark pants – appear professional, his attorney told him — Robert approached the witness stand.
He answered questions from his Coalition Legal attorney, explaining a troubled childhood that led him to drug dealing. He faced cross-examination by the state’s attorney and more questions from the judge.
He sat quietly while the judge considered his cases. When the judge declared his record expunged, Robert wept openly.
Afterwards, he thanked his attorney and said he felt the weight of the world lifted off his shoulders.
With a new sense of freedom, he hugged his mother who’d watched from the gallery.
Still, the process is not complete. The court must file the expungement orders. State police must destroy the records. We tell clients to wait 12 weeks before applying for the job they really want to make sure their record comes back clean.
Like many who’d come before him, Robert called us later that year with good news. He’d accepted a full-time job with benefits at a local company. He’d signed a lease for an apartment he couldn’t previously afford. He reconnected with his children.
Robert transformed his life. He’d gone from unemployed to hired in ten months.
Thousands of other people just like Robert need our help. You can make a difference for them with a donation that supports each step. We have the expertise and the staff to make it happen. All we need is your contribution.
