Lansing judge expunges Tee Grizzley’s Michigan felony record

Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina expunged rapper Tee Grizzley's Michigan felony record during an August 5 courtroom ceremony in Lansing. The Detroit rapper said the ruling clears convictions tied to a case that began in 2014 while he was a student at Michigan State University.

Grizzley was sentenced to 18 months in Michigan for second degree home invasion after a series of dorm room thefts. He also served nine months in Kentucky after he and two other men were arrested in Lexington in an attempted robbery at a jewelry store; an initial first degree robbery charge there was reduced to theft by unlawful taking or disposition.

During the Lansing ceremony, Grizzley also spoke to two teenagers graduating from Ingham County's Juvenile Weapons Court program, whose felony weapons charges were reduced to misdemeanors after they completed education, employment, counseling and mental health treatment requirements.

Grizzley said his felony record had continued to limit him even after he built a music career, restricting where he could perform, business opportunities and his ability to obtain some life insurance policies. Under Michigan's Clean Slate law, expungement removes an eligible conviction from public view for most employers, landlords and background checks, though law enforcement and certain licensing agencies may retain access.

Read the full story at balleralert.com.