Some New Yorkers charged with low-level offenses are starting fresh today.
Those with outstanding warrants or minor offenses — like littering or disorderly conduct — came out to the Grand Street Settlement on the Lower East Side to wipe their records clean.
It was part of the second installment of the city's "Clean Slate" program.
Attendees lined up to go before a judge and possibly have their case dismissed, without fear of arrest.
Defendants were either cleared of their offense or told to stay out of trouble for six-months to have the case dropped.
Officials say the program is part of an ongoing effort to clear a backlog of almost one-million warrants.
"I would rather have my lawyers and I believe the court would rather have its judges and the police department would rather have its police officers focused on the more serious cases: domestic violence, assaults, violent crime," said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance.
"It's quite efficient I guess," said one participant. "It saves a lot of time of going back and forth and you know like if you run into like any other problems, minor arrests and stuff like that. It shouldn't stop you from going forward."
The Manhattan DA's office and the NYPD teamed up with the Legal Aid Society to organize the event
More than 400 summonses — some dating back nearly two decades — were cleared at the first installment of the program last fall.