Times Staff Report

Those who have had run-ins with the law can take some steps to erase past mistakes.

Thornton Township Supervisor Frank Zuccarelli and Valencia Ross will sponsor an expungement summit Saturday at Thornton Township Hall, 333 E. 162nd St., South Holland, where ex-offenders can work to clear their records through expungement, record sealing or executive clemency.

Criminal records can make it hard to find jobs, Zuccarelli said.

"The whole idea here is to allow people who have made mistakes in life with records dragging them down for 30 years, to give the opportunity to get their record cleared for foolish mistakes they might have made when young," he said. "It's important for people to understand that everyone makes mistakes in life and to allow them to move on with their lives."

Ross has coordinated these summits for many years. She works for the Cook County public defender's office and has seen firsthand the effects criminal backgrounds can have on people who can't find jobs because of past charges.

One way to clear a record is through expungement, which means a case record is physically destroyed by the police agency as if it never existed.

Depending on the circumstances of a case, state law allows felony, misdemeanor or municipal records on criminal and traffic cases to be expunged.

According to the Cook County clerk's office, several types of cases cannot be expunged. These include a guilty plea; a finding or verdict, under several drug laws, that result in a sentence other than probation; a finding of probation; cases where the defendant was granted supervision or was convicted of a sexual offense committed against a minor; or a case with a judgment of time served or a fine and supervision related to driving under the influence.

Anyone interested in working through the process is asked to bring their rap sheets to the summit. These can be picked up at individual courthouses or at the Chicago police station at 3510 S. Michigan Ave.

Volunteer lawyers will be on hand to help individuals determine the process they need to use, and attorneys from the Chicago and Cook County bar associations, Cook County assistant public defenders and representatives from the Illinois Prisoner Review Board will offer advice.

In addition, job placement and support agencies will provide information on housing, job training, health care, drug treatment and other essential services, such as testing for a general equivalency diploma.

"It's a good opportunity for people who have been struggling with mistakes made in past, to see if they can't get out from under this cloud (they) have hanging over them and carry on with the rest of their lives like the rest of us do," Zuccarelli said.