Recent Posts in Expungement Category

When you get into legal trouble, you will probably worry about how it will affect your future. If you are arrested on a minor charge, or this is your first time being arrested, it is possible to have your record expunged of any charges against you.

However, the term "expungement" does vary slightly depending on where you were arrested and the state you reside in. In most cases, an expungement means that the criminal incident will be removed from your record completely, leaving you with a clean slate. Yet in some jurisdictions, an expungement means that your arrest and/or conviction will be removed from your record, but a sealed record of it will still exist in that jurisdiction.

When you ask a judge for an expungement, he/she will consider a few things. Most importantly, the degree of your crime, i.e. felony or misdemeanor; the sentence you received; your age; and if you can successfully make a claim of innocence or not.

If you currently have something on your record that you would like expunged, there are several things you should know about the process.

You may have heard two terms that hold similar meanings - "expungement" and "sealing" - yet they are slightly different. If your record is sealed that means it is hidden from the public record; expungement means that the criminal record is destroyed forever, as if it had never existed in the first place.

Yet you need to check with your state laws to see what their exact definition of expungement is. Some states have different legal terms that they use for expungement, like removal, destruction or expunction. In some states the term "expungement" may not mean a complete removal of your record, meaning that some law enforcement agencies would still have access to it.

Need assistance with expungement?  Hire a criminal defense attorney who can offer assistance.