If you have a criminal record, it could affect your ability to function in society. Many employers do background checks before hiring employees. Landlords may perform a background check prior to leasing a home or an apartment. A criminal record may even affect your ability to get credit.
We have seen a lot of people who have been charged with crimes. A few of those people are career criminals. Society needs to be warned not to trust those people. However, most are good people who have done something foolish or they have learned their lesson and want to function in society.
If your life is affected by a criminal record, you might be able to seal it with an expunction or an order of non-disclosure.
Expunction
Expunctions were created to allow a fresh start to people who were wrongly arrested or charged with a criminal offense. To qualify for an expunction, you must:
- Acquitted by the trial court.
- Pardoned.
- Charges are no longer being pursued after the statute of limitations has run or the required amount of time. Or,
- the arrest or indictment was suppressed or quashed for one or more of the permissible reasons.
Each of these reasons has their own requirements and stipulations to qualify for an expunction.
Motion for Non-Disclosure
In certain situations, you may file a motion for non-disclosure of your criminal record. This is essentially sealing the record from the public. The courts and police will know have the records. But they are not provided to the public.
Conclusion
If you want to know more about the putting your criminal record behind you reach out to a lawyer. They will discuss the options that may fit your case. do you qualify for help like an expunction and a non-disclosure? Don’t let a mistake from your past affect your future.
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