Expungement

When an individual wants to make their permanent criminal record inaccessible, there are two ways to accomplish this, an “expungement” or “sealing” the record. Many individuals are not aware that arrests in your past will be listed on your criminal record, even if you were completely exonerated of the crime or the case dismissed. These arrests may be something you would prefer not to have on your permanent criminal record, as they can have a negative impact on future employment, schooling or other activity. You may also wish to expunge any past convictions. This can be done, under specific circumstances. There are requirements for expungements, and a qualified attorney can assist you with this legal procedure.

Clean Up Your Criminal Record

Sealing and expungements are two different actions with different results. If your criminal record is sealed, the information is not available to any public entity, but will be available to certain government entities in its entirety. These same government entities will have to get a court order to view your criminal record after an expungement. When they try to view your criminal record, they will only receive a message that it has been expunged, and if they wish to view this expunged record, they must have a court order signed before they will be able to legally view your record. Both of these legal actions are useful when you want to clean your criminal record. Depending on your circumstance, you may be eligible for one or the other, and a knowledgeable attorney will be able to review your situation and advise you how to move forward.

Do you want to seal your criminal record?

Some types of offenses cannot be expunged from your record. If you wish to find out about getting your criminal record sealed or expunged, contact Hager & Schwartz, P.A., and an attorney can discuss your case with you to determine which action will be serve the purpose you are trying to achieve. Our legal team has helped countless individuals in either sealing or the expungement of their criminal records successfully, and is prepared to assist you with this legal action as well.