Developing Partnerships to

Benefit People Facing Barriers

Cabrini Green Legal Aid740 North Milwaukee Avenue | Chicago, IL 60642www.cgla.net | p 312.738.2452 | f 312.850.4783

Our purpose is to answer God’s call to seek justice and mercy for those living in poverty by providing legal services that strengthen lives, families, and communities.

We provide high impact legal services in the areas of: •Criminal Records •Housing Law •Family Law •Criminal Defense

We integrate legal and social services through strategic partnerships and in-house support staff to create long-term impact on those we serve.

Introducing CGLA

Expungement and Sealing

Before My Equal Justice Works Fellowship

File the Petition (next page)

Visit the Daley Center Expungement/Sealing Help DeskCGLA Volunteers and law student interns prepare petitions that will be filed pro se.

Get Chicago RAP SheetA person arrested in the City of Chicago must include a RAP sheet with the petition when it is filed. A RAP sheet costs $16, and it takes 2 trips to the Chicago Police Department to get it.

Expungement & SealingProcedures

• Petitions are filed in Clerk’s Office in the district(s) in which the cases occurred. Cook County has six municipal districts and petitions are divided by arresting agency.

District 6 - Markham

District 5 – Bridgeview

District 4 - Maywood

District 3 – Rolling

Meadows

District 2 - Skokie

District 1 – Chicago

Where Petitions are Filed

Attend Court (Some court dates are automatic; some are set upon objection)

At court dates, judges weigh the objections filed with several factors: petitioner’s rehabilitation, length of time since the record, what is on the record, strength of the state’s case at the time, educational and

employment history. CGLA & CLC represent pro se petitioners in Chicago.

Wait for Objection Period to ExpireAll agencies entitled to notice by law have 60 days to object to the expungement or sealing (state’s attorney, arresting agency, Illinois State Police and village prosecutor). Objections are filed with the

court, and are either (1) statutory in nature or (2) discretionary.

File the Petition Petitions must be filed in the County and District in which the case occurred. There are 102 counties in Illinois, and 6 districts within Cook County. We have guides for filing within the Cook County districts.

Expungement & SealingProcedures

If denied, a person can file a Motion to

Reconsider within 60 days of service of the

order.

If granted, removes records from the Clerk

of the Circuit Court record, so information does not appear on a background check.

Appears as “no record.”

Files are impounded.

Orders the arresting agency and Illinois State

Police to expunge or seal. ISP also forwards

orders to the FBI.

Expungement & SealingAfter a Court Order

Expungement and Sealing

After My Equal Justice Works Fellowship

9

Request for Research

Eligibility (Based on Prescreen)

Client and Case Manager

CRC Law Student Volunteer

The Criminal Records Corps

Eligible to

Expunge or Seal?

Consult with client and case manger re: other options

CRC Law Student Volunteer

Prepare and File Petition

Client

Purchase RAP Sheet

(with funds provided by CRC)

CRC Law Student Volunteer

No

Yes

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The Criminal Records Corps

Breakthrough Urban Ministries - Men; 76; 10%

Breakthrough Urban Min-istries - Women; 18; 2%

Deborah's Place - Jackson Blvd.; 22; 3%

Deborah's Place - Sedgwick Street and West Oakdale; 25; 3%

Heartland Human Care Services; 117; 15%

Housing Opportunities for Women; 45; 6%

Jesse Brown VA Center; 3; 0%

La Casa Norte; 25; 3%

Southwest Chicago PADS; 277; 36%

Streetwise; 76; 10%

The Renaissance Collab-orative; 49; 6%

The Salvation Army; 3; 0%

Catholic Charities; 14; 2%Center for Changing Lives; 1; 0%

Goldie's Place; 4; 1%

Heartland Human Care Services - Ravenswood; 1; 0%

Inner Voice, Inc.; 1; 0%North Side Housing & Supportive

Services; 9; 1%

Total Referred:766

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The Criminal Records Corps

Attorney; 5; 4%

DePaul University College of Law; 17; 14%

IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law; 28; 22%

Indiana University School of Law; 1; 1%

John Marshall Law School; 9; 7%

Loyola University Chicago School of Law; 51; 41%

Non-Attorney; 1; 1%

Northwestern University Law School; 13; 10%

Total Trained:156

(includes 31 University of Chicago students who served for one day

who are not included in the chart)

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Current CGLA Partnerships

Collaborative

The Cara

Program

Growing Home

Strategic

Breakthrough Urban Ministries

Heartland Human Care

Services

La Casa Norte

Special Initiatives

Safer Founda

tion

Community

Homelessness Prevention

Agencies

Workforce Development Agencies

Social Services Agencies

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CGLA’s Mission

Holistic, Collaborative Services That

Measurably Improve Lives