Discussing Criminal Attorney Services

How Getting Your Criminal Records Expunged Can Benefit You

19 August 2021

Joshua Alexander

Did you know that most employers perform criminal record checks before hiring employees? When they do this, they learn all kinds of things about a person's past, including if the person has criminal charges on their record. If you are tired of admitting that you have a criminal past, you might want to consider asking the court to expunge your criminal records. If you are unsure about what this is, how it works, or its benefits, continue reading this guide to learn these things.

The Basics of Getting Your Records Expunged

Criminal record expungement is something that people can use to remove criminal charges from their records. This process does not erase whatever the charges are to the point where you are innocent of them. Instead, it hides the charges from public view. You see, criminal charges are public records. If anyone wants to see a person's criminal history, they can see it by looking through records. The downside is that anyone can view these records, and there is nothing you can do to stop that unless you can get the court to expunge them.

When they expunge them, they hide them away from the public eye. If anyone looks up your record after the court expunges the charges, they will see nothing. As a result, they will assume you have a clean record.

How to Get Your Records Expunged

If this sounds good to you, learning the expungement process is the next thing you should start thinking about. If you can get the records expunged, you can have a clean criminal record. To start the process, you will need to talk to a criminal defense lawyer. A lawyer can help you determine if you should proceed with this direction, and they base this on the laws in your state.

States dictate the rules relating to expungement, and these laws tell you two main things:

1. If the charges you have on your record can be expunged.
2. How long you must wait before requesting expungement.

If the laws do not allow expungement for your criminal charges, you should not request it. There are certain charges that you can expunge and others you cannot. Secondly, most states have rules relating to the timeframe of waiting. In other words, you might have to wait three years or longer after being charged before you can request an expungement.

Your lawyer can file a motion for expungement with the court. After doing this, you will have a hearing to attend for the matter. The court will decide whether to approve it or not.

The Benefits of Criminal Record Expungement

Now that you understand how to expunge records and what this means, you might wonder about the benefits it offers. Expungement offers a legal way to erase your criminal charges from your record. When you get this approved, you can honestly say that you do not have a criminal record when applying for loans, jobs, and rental properties. By having your record expunged, you might face fewer challenges with these types of events.

How to Start the Process

If you are interested in getting your criminal records expunged, you will need to hire a criminal defense lawyer with experience in criminal record expungement law. Once you hire a lawyer, you can discuss expungement with them. Your lawyer will know if there is a chance that the court will approve it. If they believe there is a good chance, you can proceed with the case by filing a motion to request criminal record expungement. To get started with the expungement process, contact a local criminal defense attorney today.

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