A clinic for Arlington and Falls Church residents seeking to get criminal charges expunged is taking place this weekend.
The clinic is for people who have been arrested and charged with a crime, but never convicted. It will take place at Arlington Presbyterian Church (918 S. Lincoln Street) from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday (Dec. 7).
This is the fourth such clinic hosted in Arlington, as Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti hopes to make such events a regular occurance in December and June.
Arlington’s first expungement clinic took place back in 2022, providing a (mostly) one-stop shop for people eligible to clear their records.
Pre-registration is recommended for this weekend’s clinic, at the church space on the ground level of the Gilliam Place apartment building along Columbia Pike. The expungement filing fee is typically $91, but this “will be covered on a first-come, first-serve basis while funds last,” a flier says.
At the Arlington County courthouse, the Sheriff’s Office will also be waiving a $15 fingerprint fee from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the day of the clinic.
Applicants must bring a warrant of arrest or final disposition for each charge they are seeking to expunge. All charges must be within Arlington County or the City of Falls Church.
Around a dozen people applied for expungements at the last clinic in June, Dehghani-Tafti said. Most applications are decided within about six months.
An FAQ on expungements is available on the Virginia Legal Aid website.
“Even if you’ve been arrested and not convicted, that arrest can follow you every time you apply for a job, school, or an apartment,” Dehghani-Tafti said previously. “That harms people, their families, and the community. This clinic is one way we can mitigate that harm and give people a chance to live productive lives.”
