CAHOKIA — St. Clair County residents with outstanding warrants have the opportunity to wipe their record clean next month.

A Clean Slate Day will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 8, at Power Change Christian Church, 2348 Jerome Lane, Cahokia.

A Clean Slate Day aims to connect people who have outstanding traffic and misdemeanor warrants with the proper judicial officials in an effort to address their warrants without arrest.

St. Clair County State's Attorney Brendan Kelly said Clean Slate days are held "from time to time, to clean up old warrants and allow people to make payments or do community service on traffic and non-violent misdemeanor charges."

St. Clair County officials available for on-site assistance include: St. Clair County judges, assistant state's attorneys and deputy circuit clerks.

"They are coming to try to work with the community to help them have a second chance," said Bishop Henry Phillips with Power Change Christian Church.

The Clean Slate Day pertains only to traffic, misdemeanor and MetroLink warrants issued in St. Clair County. The following warrants are not applicable: federal warrants, felony warrants, child contempt, domestic violence and violation of orders of protection.

Phillips expects between 700 and 1,000 people to attend the Clean Slate Day, which is being held at his church for the first time. In the past, Clean Slate days have been held in East St. Louis.

"It's part of our vision to reach out to the community," Phillips said. "It's our passion to help people. People need to know that they have help especially in challenging times like this."

The event is sponsored by the St. Clair County state's attorney's office, Circuit Clerk Kahalah Dixon Clay and the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department.

Contact reporter Jamie Forsythe at 239-2562 or jforsythe1@bnd.com.