Walk-in Criminal Record Expungement Clinics Offered at the Libraries in HR and TD
The Dalles, Ore., Sept. 16, 2025 — For more than two years, retired lawyers and other volunteers have been helping Gorge residents apply for expungement (or “set aside”) of their Oregon criminal records. The volunteers operate free walk-in clinics twice a month in The Dalles and Hood River. More than 220 people have sought help through the clinics since June 2023. Most who come to the clinics live in the Gorge, but the clinics are open to anyone who needs help.
Clinics are open on the first Tuesday and the first Thursday of every month, from 2-5 pm. Starting October 7th, first Tuesday clinics will be held at the Hood River County Library at 502 State St. in Hood River. First Thursday clinics will continue to be held at the Wasco County Library at 722 Court St. in The Dalles.
“The expungement process can make a big difference in people’s lives,“ according to Wasco County resident Lynn-Marie Crider, a retired labor lawyer who oversees clinic operations. A history of convictions, or even arrests, that never resulted in a prosecution can make it very difficult for someone to get a job, an occupational license, or rental housing. A criminal record even prevents many parents from volunteering in their kids’ classrooms.
Oregon law offers a second chance to many people who have no recent convictions: If they have complied with the sentence, they may get the record set aside, provided they are not currently charged with a crime and have been conviction-free for a waiting period. The waiting period ranges from 1 to 7 years, depending on the crime.
Certain serious crimes, including most sex crimes and many violent ones, cannot be expunged using the usual process. Nevertheless, clinic lawyers encourage anyone who has turned their life around to come in to discuss what can be done.
“Clinic volunteers work with each clinic participant individually because everyone’s situation is unique,” explained William Howell, a retired public defender who volunteers at the clinic in The Dalles.
Volunteers help clients understand what’s on their record and what can and what cannot be set aside. If a client is eligible, volunteers prepare the paperwork necessary to apply for expungement. Clients themselves usually hand-deliver the paperwork to the court and the district attorney.
If a client is not eligible for expungement, volunteers help them to understand their options and make plans for the future.
The clinics are a program of the CLEAR Clinic, a nonprofit program based in Portland that provides the experience, expertise, and institutional umbrella that makes the Gorge clinics possible.
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