What is an Expungement?
Posted on Mar 8, 2010 5:20pm PST
If you have been convicted of a crime, you may be entitled to something called an expungement. An expungement is the process of setting aside a conviction, guilty plea, or no contest plea and removing it from your criminal record. After a successful expungement your case will be dismissed and it will be as if the conviction or plea never happened.
It should be stated that the arrest report, court papers, and any other important documents relating to the case will be sealed in a file. An expungement doesn’t destroy the record, but rather a note is placed in the court’s file that the conviction or plea has been dismissed.
Benefits of Expungement
Expungements have many benefits. First and foremost, once your conviction has been expunged your opportunities for jobs and other things will open up. You will no longer be obligated to answer “yes” to the question “have you ever been convicted of a crime?” A criminal conviction can also hold you back from obtaining credit, renting an apartment, voting, or obtaining certain professional licenses. Some professions won’t even allow you to apply for the job if you have a criminal history, so getting a conviction expunged will open up a lot of doors for you.
Many people also find that expungement gives them peace of mind. No longer are you labeled a convicted criminal. Just knowing that one is perceived more favorably by society is enough to convince many people to seek an expungement.
Contact a
criminal defense attorney if you are interested in learning whether or not you qualify for an expungement. Not all convictions can be expunged, and the grounds you need to meet in order to obtain an expungement will vary depending on the state you're in. Take a moment to speak with an attorney near you who has experience handling expungements. You’ll be glad you did!
