The law provides that certain convictions in Mississippi can be expunged from legal record, or considered void in the eyes of the law.

A free expungement legal workshop and clinic will be held in Vicksburg Municipal Court at the Vicksburg Police Department, 820 Veto St.,  June 29.

“We host legal clinics across the state for individuals who qualify for our services,” said Gayla Carpenter-Sanders, executive director and general council for the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project. “You must be low income to receive the services.”

The workshop and clinic are designed to help low income residents of Warren County by offering them free legal advice to erase certain convictions on their record.

Carpenter-Sanders said attorneys would assist individuals by providing legal consultation, drafting necessary documents and offering instructions on how to represent themselves in getting an expungement.

“It’s a do-it-yourself clinic,” Carpenter-Sanders said. “These attorneys are just empowering citizens on representing themselves in court, but they’re making sure they have the required documents in order to achieve that resolution.”

These attorneys will not represent the individuals in court, but are simply helping the person represent themselves with the correct documents and information. She said individuals would be responsible for paying the filing fee to the clerk’s office, but the clinic itself is free.

The clinic is sponsored by the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project, Warren County Bar Association, Vicksburg Municipal Court and the Ninth Circuit District Attorney’s office.

“This is the first time our office has participated in this type of clinic,” assistant district attorney Angela Carpenter said. “We believe in giving people a second chance in helping to get a person’s life on track.”

She said giving a second chance helps the community by having more productive citizen living there. Municipal Court Judge Toni Terrett said it was good to have the clinic so people are informed and know their options from the source instead of trying to figure it out alone.

“Having something like this in Vicksburg is a good way to educate the public and also give those people who are trying to wipe the slate clean a chance,” Terrett said.

Carpenter-Sanders agreed saying the clinic is important for those who are trying to start over and obtain a job but have not been successful because of their past record. She said the organization does not want to create a cycle where people cannot get out of poverty and it is important to provide this service to break the cycle.

The clinic will start at 9 a.m. with a “Know Your Rights” workshop, where an attorney will present the laws on expungement in Mississippi, and will continue with attorney sessions at 10 a.m.

Carpenter-Sanders anticipates between 50 and 75 participants attending the clinic. The length of the workshop is dependent on the amount of participants and she hopes everyone will show patience.

Appointments must be scheduled to attend the clinic by noon Thursday, June 23. To register, call the MVLP at 601-960-9577, option 2, between 9 a.m. and noon Monday through Thursday.

For more information, call the MVLP at 601-960-9577 ext. 103 or visit mvlp.org.