If you have been arrested and have tried to apply for a job, a loan, or to get into school and have been denied because of the information contained on your criminal record you know just how frustrating it is to not be able to leave the past where it belongs. Having a criminal record prevents you from doing the things mentioned, and could also prevent you from doing other things such as renting a car or apartment, or obtaining certain licenses. If you have been arrested and are interested in clearing your record, you should consider the option of expungement. Expungement is a court order that “seals” your record so it is no longer accessible by the public. There are certain requirements you must meet in order to seek expungement, and it is best to talk things over with a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney to find out if expungement is an option for you.

If expungement will work for your case, here are a few of the benefits of getting an order sealing your record:

  • The charges will not be visible to the public, so none of the information will be revealed when you are trying to do certain things. An important note here is that certain law enforcement still have access to the information, so make sure what you are trying to accomplish by expunging your record will be your reality.

 

  • Some of the data that is no longer available to anyone with an internet connection to see includes the police report, which might contain a lot of your personal information as well as what the charges against you were; even if the charges were eventually dropped or you were successful in your case.

Without an expungement all of the personal information in the report is available, and that is probably the stuff you most want to keep private. Think about how easy it would be to have your identity stolen if all someone had to do was sit at their desk and pull up your record, which would include your address, occupation, height, weight, hair color, and other personal characteristics. Protecting your personal information is hard enough in today’s digital world, but it doesn’t have to be made more difficult by allowing harmful criminal records to remain in place. If you are interested in having a criminal record expunged, call our office to find out if you qualify. We will let you know your options and help you make decisions that best meet your needs.

For help with keeping your record clean, call a competent criminal defense attorney in Stuart and the Treasure Coast for help. We offer representation for a wide range of offenses, call us to schedule an appointment.