Good afternoon, Delegates. Thank you for allowing me to appear before you today. I am here to advocate for the passage of vacatur bills HB 2227 and HB 2393. My name is Desiree Trail, and I first want to express my gratitude to Delegate Mundon King, Delegate Cherry, and Delegate Delaney for sponsoring these bills, as well as to all members who have been supportive. I am a 54-year-old disabled single mother and a survivor of human trafficking. I serve as a survivor leader, public speaker, and consultant with Global Centurion, the Virginia Coalition Against Human Trafficking, the PD16 Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Central Virginia Justice Initiative here in Fredericksburg, Virginia. I have conducted training for federal and local law enforcement, and my survivor story can be found on the Department of Justice website at [DOJ Survivor Story](https://ctip.defense.gov). Several years ago, I came to testify for vacatur, but it was tabled at the last minute. This was heartbreaking, but I was encouraged by several Delegates not to give up, and I am grateful for their support. Last year, I testified for HB 1426, which Delegate Anne Ferrell Tata kindly sponsored, and SB 1147, sponsored by Senator Jennifer Boysko. I am thankful for their efforts, as we successfully passed the Virginia Human Trafficking Healthcare Training Bill. I take pride in being part of that life-saving legislation. When I say "we," I mean not only myself and members of the General Assembly but also my colleagues, survivor sisters and brothers, and advocates across Virginia who worked tirelessly on those bills. We are now asking the House Courts of Justice Criminal Subcommittee to vote yes for vacatur, which is urgently needed in Virginia, especially in marginalized communities. Virginia has received an F from Shared Hope International for its lack of support in improving the lives of human trafficking survivors and prevention. I believe we can do better this year, and I hope you agree. My charges include drug possession, grand larceny, and prostitution, as listed in this bill, as well as a child neglect charge—all accrued while I was trafficked by various drug dealers who were never prosecuted. At that time, I did not recognize myself as a victim and was trafficked on and off for years. I understand the complexities regarding the neglect charge; however, in my case, it was unintentional, and I have paid the price for over 20 years. I can attest to the pain of being denied the right to be free from the bondage of my past. I have sought vacatur status or a pardon since 2016, and it has been a great hardship for me, especially with my health issues, including Complex PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, fibromyalgia, and neuropathy. Despite these challenges, I continue to mentor other survivors, help draft bills, and testify at the General Assembly each year for the past three years. Finding adequate safe housing has been even more difficult. The low-income community I live in is plagued by constant shootings and drug activity, which triggers my CPTSD regularly. Each time I seek better housing, I must share my story with strangers and face constant denials due to my record, which is over 20 years old. This is humiliating, and all I want is to raise my 15-year-old daughter in a safer environment.

I am an attorney and the Director of the Center for Global Justice at Regent Law School. We run a Clinic representing human trafficking survivors in submitting vacatur and expungement petitions. Our Clinic represented the first survivor to have part of her record cleared pursuant to the current vacatur law. Note that only PART of her record was eligible even though all convictions were the direct result of being trafficked in our Commonwealth of Virginia. That continues to be the case with most of our Clinic clients - they were forced to not only sell their bodies for sex (and give the money to their exploiter), but also forced under threat and intense coercion to steal, to lie, and to hold or use drugs (provided by their trafficker). Vacatur is only effective in helping survivors move forward with life - finding housing, reasonable employment, gaining custody, going back to school - if more offenses are eligible. National statistics support this move, showing most traffickers force upon victims a broader array of criminal activity - primarily theft, fraud, and drug use. As a former Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney, I recognize the varied viewpoints on the finality of criminal records. I also know, as someone who has represented the Commonwealth in court countless times, that we must acknowledge the true nature and intensity of the force, fraud, and coercion exhibited by traffickers. We uphold justice by allowing survivors this pathway to relief and meaningful rehabilitation. Thank you Margaret "Meg" Kelsey mkelsey@regent.edu