Free Legal Help to Clear Criminal Records Coming to Brattleboro in January
Vermont residents with past criminal convictions will have an opportunity to clear their records at a free clinic scheduled for January 15, 2026, at the Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro.
The Attorney General’s Office is offering pro bono legal assistance to help Windham County residents navigate Vermont’s expanded record clearing laws under Act 60, which took effect in July 2025.
How to Participate
Anyone interested in the clinic must make an appointment by Tuesday, January 6, 2026. Contact Amelia Vath, Senior Advisor to the Attorney General, at 802-828-3171 or AGO.Info@vermont.gov to schedule a time slot.
Walk-ins will not be accommodated due to the intensive legal work required for each case. Participants should bring documentation of their criminal record, including case numbers, offense descriptions, and conviction dates.
Understanding the New Law
Act 60 represents a significant change in how Vermont handles criminal records. The law expanded the types of crimes eligible for relief while shifting the primary mechanism from expungement to sealing.
This distinction matters. Sealing doesn’t destroy a criminal record—it moves it to a confidential file. While sealed records are hidden from public view and most employers, they remain accessible to criminal justice agencies, including police, prosecutors, and the Department of Corrections. Federal agencies may also still see these records.
By contrast, expungement physically destroys a record, making it completely inaccessible. Vermont now reserves expungement for only very limited circumstances, such as certain motor vehicle violations that are automatically expunged two years after payment.
Which Crimes Qualify
Act 60 significantly expanded the list of qualifying crimes, including many non-violent felonies that previously remained on records permanently.
Eligible felonies now include grand larceny, embezzlement, identity theft, retail theft, forgery, and various fraud offenses. Drug possession charges involving cocaine, heroin, or fentanyl at specified quantities also qualify, as do certain property crimes like unlawful mischief and trespass.
Burglary can be sealed only if it didn’t involve an occupied dwelling and the person wasn’t carrying a dangerous weapon. Crimes involving violence against people generally don’t qualify.
For misdemeanors, the list is broader and includes most non-violent offenses.
Eligibility Requirements
Meeting the crime requirements is just the first step. Several other conditions must be met before a record can be sealed.
The waiting period is seven years after completing a sentence for most qualifying felonies, and three years for misdemeanors. “Completing a sentence” means finishing all probation, parole, incarceration, and supervised release—not just the initial court date.
Critically, all court-ordered restitution and surcharges must be paid in full. This financial requirement can be a significant barrier for low-income Vermonters, even those who have successfully rebuilt their lives. While some fee waivers exist for young adults aged 18-21, most participants must show proof of payment.
Anyone with a currently pending criminal charge anywhere in Vermont is ineligible until that case is resolved.
The Process
At the clinic, attorneys will review each person’s criminal history and determine which offenses qualify for sealing. They’ll help prepare and file petitions with the court.
Once a petition is filed, the Windham County State’s Attorney’s Office reviews it. If State’s Attorney Steve Brown’s office agrees, the court can issue a sealing order without a hearing. If prosecutors object on grounds that sealing would be “contrary to the interests of justice,” a hearing is scheduled where victims can provide statements and a judge makes the final decision.
Brown’s cooperation with the clinic suggests a policy of supporting appropriate cases, though his office retains discretion to object when warranted.
Community Partners
The clinic benefits from partnerships with local organizations. Interaction, formerly known as Youth Services, is a Brattleboro-based nonprofit with over 50 years of experience in restorative justice and youth programs. Their involvement adds community expertise and a relationship-focused approach to the legal process.
By holding the clinic at the public library rather than a courthouse, organizers hope to reduce the intimidation some people feel when dealing with the justice system.
Important Limitations
Several limitations aren’t prominently featured in promotional materials but matter for participants.
While Vermont courts will seal records upon order, they can’t control federal databases. The Vermont Crime Information Center notifies the FBI when records are sealed, but federal agencies may take up to six months to update their systems—and some may retain information regardless of state action. For people applying for federal jobs, immigration benefits, or international travel, sealed Vermont records could still pose obstacles.
Additionally, the clinic focuses specifically on Windham County records. Those with convictions in other Vermont counties must seek assistance in those jurisdictions, though clinic attorneys may offer general guidance.
If multiple offenses arose from a single incident, they can be included in one petition. But offenses from different times or places require separate petitions.
What Happens Next
After January 15, the Attorney General’s Office plans to hold additional clinics across Vermont throughout 2026. The office has previously partnered with the Root Social Justice Center for clinics specifically serving Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities.
For Brattleboro clinic participants, the timeline varies. If prosecutors stipulate to sealing and no hearing is required, orders could be issued within weeks. Contested cases requiring hearings will take longer. Once a court grants sealing, the practical effects—such as records disappearing from public background checks—typically occur within 30 days, though federal database updates lag behind.
Vermonters who miss the January appointment deadline or live outside Windham County can contact the Attorney General’s Office at the same number to learn about future clinics or request information about petitioning independently.