Fulton County Fathers Offered Criminal Record Expungement

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — The Fulton County Solicitor General's Officer is working to expunge the criminal records of 1,000 dads before Father's Day.

Fulton County Solicitor General Keith Gammage's office is teaming up with The Georgia Justice Project for the misdemeanor record forgiveness project.

“Restorative Justice demands thoughtful, innovative approaches to criminal justice reform. Our second Freedom Summit expungement event continues the mission of ‘jobs over jails’ by sweeping away old non- violent arrests and providing a second chance at success,” Gammage said.

The restorative justice events have assisted thousands of citizens in clearing non-violent, misdemeanor arrests from their criminal histories to give them a second chance, the Solicitor General's website says.

Those who may be eligible are individuals:

• Arrested for a misdemeanor in Fulton County
• Not convicted/ found not guilty at trial
• Certain misdemeanors under 21/ Youth offender pleas
• Completed a Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI)/Diversion Program
• Completed "First Offender" screening available

Without this initiative, the process to expunge a record is expensive and lengthy. This event is free and reduces the process to a single day, the website said.

The Solicitor General’s Office prosecutes misdemeanor offenses such as domestic violence, cruelty to children, driving under the influence, elder abuse and animal cruelty.

Since taking office in 2017, Gammage has created diversion programs that are focused on ending the school-to-prison pipeline, implemented "Jobs Over Jails" initiatives and assigns his prosecutors to community service projects. Additionally, Gammage has offered a Traffic Amnesty Program allowing for reduced traffic fines, and he has created an expungement/record restriction program which, to date has removed non-violent arrests from the criminal histories of hundreds of citizens, providing for renewed hope for better jobs and housing.