CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer’s criminal record has been cleared.
Attorney George Laughrun tells WCCB Charlotte that Wes Kerrick’s record was expunged Friday. WCCB checked, and confirmed Kerrick’s name no longer appears on searches of criminal or court records.
Kerrick had been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the 2013 shooting death of Jonathan Ferrell. A jury deadlocked in 2015 and the judge declared a mistrial. The state of North Carolina decided not to retry Kerrick.
Attorney Michael Greene tells WCCB Charlotte, “The (expungement) process begins by filing a petition for expungement and having it signed by a Judge. The signed order is then sent to the State Bureau of Investigation in Raleigh where they do background checks and make sure that the person is otherwise qualified to have his/her case expunged.
Once the SBI has completed the expungement, it goes back to the County of its origin for signature by a judge. Thereafter, a copy of the petition is given to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, the arresting police agency and the clerk of Superior Court.
Private companies disseminating the information 90 days after notice of expungement can be guilty of a class two misdemeanor.”
Greene also says, “Wes Kerrick and his family are glad that this process is over and are looking forward to moving on with their lives.”
Greene goes on to say, “He (Kerrick) was simply afforded the same rights as every other citizen in getting his record expunged.”
