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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Contact: June 12, 2017 Jalyne R. Strong (312) 603-5690

jrstrong@cookcountycourt.com

Clerk Dorothy Brown greets individuals as they enter the 2017 Full Service Expungement Summit at Unity Junior High School in Cicero, IL, on Saturday, June 10.

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Clerk Dorothy Brown Assists More than 500 attendees at

Full-Day Expungement Summit in Cicero, June 10

Guest Speaker will tell her story of getting a second chance through expungement

CHICAGO - Honorable Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, and an array of judicial, governmental, legal, community and religious organizations and agencies, welcomed more than 500 attendees to

the 13th

Annual Second Chance Adult and Juvenile Expungement Summit and Job Information Seminar at Unity Junior High School, 2115 S. 54th Ave., Cicero, IL, on Saturday, June 10, 2017. The attendees were all assisted in filing petitions for expungement or sealing or learning what their options are for handling past court records.

Guest speaker Ms. Maryana Rojas, who is now a chef and catering manager, spoke to the summit attendees

about how expunging her past record helped her turn her life around and how important it is for people to seize

this opportunity provided by Clerk Brown.

“The Expungement Summit is an opportunity for individuals who qualify to expunge their court records; a

second chance for them to be law-abiding, productive members of society,” said Clerk Brown. “We are

attempting to remove as many impediments as possible for people who are attempting to better themselves and

DOROTHY BROWN

CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT

OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY

Richard J. Daley Center Room 1001

Chicago, Illinois 60602 312- 603-5030

FAX 312-603-4557 www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org

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their families’ quality of life.”

The Expungement Summit opened with a morning presentation featuring speakers from various stakeholder

agencies involved in expungement/sealing and clemency processes, including the Cook County State’s

Attorney, Chicago Police Department, Illinois Prisoner Review, Cabrini Green Legal Aid, the Illinois Attorney

General, Safer Foundation and the Cook County Public Defender.

At the summit, volunteer attorneys helped prepare applications for the filing of petitions that qualify for

expungement and sealing. Representatives from the Cook County Public Defender and Cabrini Green Legal Aid

also assisted attendees with legal concerns. Cook County judges held hearings on site for indigent petitioners

seeking to get fees waived.

Individuals who did not qualify for expungement attended counseling sessions with members of the Illinois

Prisoner Review Board to learn about Certificates of Good Conduct and Relief from Disabilities, as well as how

to prepare letters for clemency and/or pardons from the governor.

A host of other agencies provided information on employment, job training, health care, housing, voter

registration and other services for ex-offenders. The Summit’s Second Chance Job Information Seminar

featured workshops on how to get educational training, resume writing, interviewing and computer skill building

with presentations by representatives from the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the Office of the

Cook County President, RTW Veterans Center, Brothers Standing Together and the Safer Foundation.

Clerk Dorothy Brown (center) is flanked by panelists and special guests at the Summit (L-R): Glen Brooks, Chicago Police Department; Esther Franco-Payne, Cabrini Green Legal Aid; Maryam Ahmad, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office; Greg Findley, Illinois Prisoner Review Board; Kim Sorrells, Cook County Public Defender’s Office, Clerk Brown, Skip Gonsoulin, Illinois Attorney General’s Office; Dr. Phalese Binion, Westside Ministers Coalition; Maryana Rojas, guest speaker; Rudy Hernandez, Superintendent, Cicero Public Schools District 99; Joe Perfetti, Chicago Police Department Records Division and Tony Lowery, Safer Foundation.

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Clerk Brown addresses summit attendees during morning presentation.

Clerk Brown is joined by Illinois State Representative Elizabeth Hernandez (24th District) at the Expungement Summit.

Guest speaker Maryana Rojas tells the audience how getting her record expunged allowed her to turn her life around. (Below) Attendees line up to enter the 2017 Expungement Summit at Unity Junior High School in Cicero, IL.

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(Above) Clerk’s Office staff display the various service areas of the Expungement Summit. (Left) Clerk Brown poses with some of the Cook County circuit judges who held hearings for petitioners seeking fee waivers on site. Pictured are (l-r) Judge Leonard Murray, Judge JoAnne Rosado, Clerk Brown, Judge Freddrenna Lyles, Judge Diann Marsalek and Judge Lewis Nixon

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