Did you know that certain criminal acts may be able to be erased from your criminal record by a court? The act of erasing, or sealing, your criminal record for a certain criminal act (or acts) is called an expungement. If you expunge a criminal act, it’s kind of like letting you "start over" as if that crime never occurred in the eyes of the law. Does this sound too good to be true?
Well, you’ll have to meet certain requirements to apply for an expungement, exceptions may apply, and every jurisdiction deals with expungements differently. But don’t let that discourage you. The purpose of expungements is to give those deserving individuals who have worked hard to get their lives back on track a clean slate. It is possible to obtain an expungement if you know the rules and the process, which we’ll explore in this article.
In this article, we’ll take a look at what expungements are (and are not), the eligibility requirements for an expungement, the differences between expungements and pardons (an often confused topic), and how to find a lawyer to assist you or another in obtaining an expungement.
Next, we’ll explore expungements and their significance.