(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County has opened a first-of-its-kind Expungement Department at the criminal courts building, streamlining the process of getting criminal records cleared.
Clerk Iris Martinez, with the customary giant scissors, cut a ribbon, opening the new office on the 5th floor of the office tower connected to the criminal courts building at 26th and California.
“The creation of this department is not merely an organization change, it is a stride toward breaking down barriers to access to justice," she said.
"The right to request expungement has opened new doors for many offering a path to a clear future."
Martinez also said they’re eliminating multiple filing fees and bureaucratic hurdles. Associate Clerk Darice Goodwin said many have been frustrated by the process.
“There’s transportation issues, money issues, absolutely its frustrating, especially when you’re trying to clear up a record because you want to get housing, you want to get a job, you want to go to school, you want to apply for financial aid, so absolutely there was a huge frustration.”
The Clerk’s Office is also working with community organizations, teaching them how to navigate the process so they can help others.
Martinez said when she started as clerk in 2020, there was a backlog of 6,100 expungement cases.
That’s now down to about 100.
Martinez said when she started as clerk in 2020, there was a backlog of 6,100 expungement cases. That’s now down to about 100.
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