JACKSON, Miss.—A grand larceny conviction from stealing all-terrain vehicles at 17 means Shaquille Taylor has never been legally allowed to own a firearm. He drove from Columbus, Mississippi, to Jackson to attend an expungement clinic at Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center on Sept. 11 after missing one closer to his home.
While some people look forward to new job opportunities after an expungement, Taylor has never had trouble finding work; he is more excited about getting his civil rights back.
The petition he worked to draft on Friday could clear it from his criminal record, giving him the right to bear arms for the first time in his life.
The clinic, organized by the Jackson Department of Human and Cultural Services’ Jobs for Jacksonians program, aimed to help residents submit petitions to have their criminal records expunged. Volunteers helped about 40 people at the clinic which required pre-registration and appointments…