Having a criminal record can prevent you from doing a lot of things in life. You might be turned down for a job, denied admission to school, or even be made to pay a higher insurance rate if you have a record. So it is good to know that, depending on the type of charges, you might be eligible to have your record cleared. The legal term is expungement, and in order to get an order of expungement certain requirements must be met. In order to find out if you qualify, it is best to have a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney review your case.
Four ways to clear your criminal record, through a request for an expungement, according to Florida law include:
- No charges were filed against you, even though you were arrested. If that is the case, you can ask the Court to remove the notation of arrest from your record so it is no longer visible on a public records search.
- You were arrested and charged, but the charges against you were dismissed. If that is the result in your case, you can ask for an order of expungement to remove the information from your record.
- You were arrested and charged, and decided to have a trial in your case that ended up with a not guilty verdict. If you were found not guilty it only makes sense that you should not have a record of the incident. An order of expungement will get this done for you
- You were arrested and charged, and decided to resolve the case against you by going on probation. This is only an option if you were ultimately successful on your probation, by following all of the rules for the entire term of your probation.
If your case fits within one of these four scenarios, seeking an order of expungement can benefit you. And, it is always important to remember that even with an order of expungement there may be agencies that are still able to see your record. Let us help you decide whether expungement is the answer you need, and if so, let us help you get results. To learn if expungement will work for you, call our office.
For help with questions about expungement, 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.