Delta Justice Center Criminal Record Sealing Project Receives Grant From Arkansas Communities Institute

Arkansas– The Delta Justice Center has been selected to receive funding to seal criminal records for free in southeast Arkansas by Arkansas Communities Institute and ALICE in Arkansas.

The Center is led by Attorney Tabitha B. Lee from Dermott, Arkansas. The project will focus on Arkansas residents whose employment has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the project is to assist applicants in qualifying for gainful employment and stable housing prospects by providing free legal assistance to qualified applicants.

Criminal records – even dismissed charges – can affect communities by preventing access to a basic cost of living because it can result in discretionary ineligibility for jobs. The project will prioritize applicants from Chicot, Desha, and Drew counties, although applications from all areas of the state will be accepted.

Under current Arkansas law, certain criminal records can be sealed by the judicial process including arrests, dismissals, nolle prosses (non-prosecuted cases), acquittals, most misdemeanors, and up to two (2) felony convictions with probation sentences.

Once eligible clients are identified, they will be scheduled for advice and assessment via virtual consultations with Attorney Lee. She will review each person’s criminal history and eligibility, and based on each client’s needs, they will be scheduled for either a virtual document preparation clinic or referred for full representation.Attorney Tabitha B. Lee was born and raised in Dermott, Arkansas. She is a graduate of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and Arts (’03), the University of Arkansas (’08), the Clinton School of Public Service (’14), and the William H. Bowen School of Law (’13). She is dedicated to providing high quality legal assistance at affordable costs to citizens of the Arkansas Delta. She lives in Monticello with her family.