A Zoom presentation, "Decriminalizing Human Trafficking Victims: Expanding Vacatur in Connecticut" will be held this Friday, January 8, from noon to 2 p.m. for lawyers and Connecticut legislators interested in issues surrounding vacatur for victims of sex trafficking who have been convicted of associated crimes.

As discussed in a recent article by former Connecticut Supreme Court Associate Justice and Department of Children and Families Commissioner Joette Katz, victims of sex trafficking are often coerced into committing crimes beyond charges of prostitution by traffickers who use force, fraud and coercion as part of their abuse of victims. Katz will moderate Friday's event as part of a new series, "Understanding Human Trafficking," which urges participants to consider the movement to "decriminalize" victims of human trafficking by providing greater opportunities to clear criminal records resulting from their ordeals. "Even years after they escape their traffickers, their criminal histories continue to haunt them, limiting access to employment, housing, education and other aspects of civic life," organizers noted.