LEGAL SUPPORT PROGRAM

LEGAL SUPPORT PROGRAM

The DPN Legal Support Program, developed and led by formerly incarcerated individuals, provides free legal support for the community, including currently and formerly incarcerated people. Please note that at this time, the DPN Legal Support Program does not offer any attorney representation.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE

  • POST-CONVICTION RELIEF

    • 1. Expungements (Every 3rd Saturday of the month): To “expunge” is to “erase or remove completely.” In law, “expungement” is the process by which a record of criminal conviction is destroyed or sealed from state or federal records. An expungement order directs the court to treat the criminal conviction as if it had never occurred, essentially removing it from a defendant’s criminal record as well as, ideally, the public record. This helps formerly incarcerated individuals with better employment opportunities, housing, and professional development. If you would like to attend our next expungement clinic, please click on this LINK to register.
    • 2. Record sealing: If you had an arrest that did not result in a conviction, you may be able to seal your case under Penal Code section 851.91. You may request that a court seal your arrest records or criminal records. If a judge agrees with your request, the records will no longer be available to the public. However, some government agencies will still be able to see your sealed record. Not all arrests qualify.
    • 3. Assistance with pardons/certificate of Rehabilitation: A Certificate of Rehabilitation is a court order declaring that a person convicted of a felony is now rehabilitated. If a petition for a Certificate of Rehabilitation is granted, it is forwarded to the Governor by the court and constitutes the application for a pardon.

  • RESEARCH ON CONDITIONS OF CONFINEMENT

    • The Supreme Court has said that the Eighth Amendment (and the Fourteenth Amendment) requires prison officials to provide humane conditions of confinement. That obligation includes a responsibility to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, sanitation, medical care, and more in the prison or jail setting.

  • BOARD OR PAROLE HEARING PREPAREDNESS

    • Parole suitability hearings are held to determine if an inmate currently poses an unreasonable risk of danger to society if released from prison. The panel will consider “all relevant, reliable information available to the panel” in determining the inmate’s suitability for parole.

  • CONNECTING AND ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY WITH CLASS ACTION LITIGATION

    • A class-action lawsuit is a civil lawsuit brought on behalf of a group of people or business entities who have suffered common injuries as a result of the defendant’s conduct, with at least one individual or entity acting as a representative of that group.

  • LIMITED PARTICIPATORY DEFENSE

    • Participatory defense is a community organizing model for people facing charges, their families, and communities to impact the outcome of cases and transform the landscape of power in the court system.  It is a model that has been developed in the last decade and is being implemented in various cities across the country.

 

If you’re interested in one of our services, please fill out the DPN Legal Support Intake Form (click on the intake form). For more information, email us at dpnlegal@dignityandpowernow.org or call/text us at (213) 925-2412.

© 2014-2018 Dignity and Power Now