Trying to start your life on the right foot after having a bit of a past can be hard for anyone. If you have a criminal record, chances are good that you have already experienced how difficult this can be when trying to move forward positively. Everyone makes mistakes, but some mistakes can seriously jeapordize your future. If you have a criminal history or arrest record, you may lose job opportunities or have school applications denied. You may even miss out on some housing situations. It is understandable that you would want to move away from this history, forget it ever happened, and keep others from finding out it did. To start off the new year with a clean slate, you may want to look into having your court records sealed or expunged, and we can help you with that.
ACHIEVE A CLEAN SLATE WITH A SEAL
If you have been arrested, you have a criminal record. Many people do not like the sound of this, but that record exists whether or not you have been convicted of a crime. If this applies to you, now is the time to start considering how future background checks can potentially affect you as you go throughout life’s stages. One option in protecting your future is to get the record sealed. When this happens, your record is no longer accessible by the public. However, it does not completely go away. If, for whatever reason, there is a court order to have the record unsealed, then it will be accessible to only certain people in certain positions, like government agencies. To get a record sealed, you would need to first apply for a certificate of eligibility that lasts for 12 months. Within that time frame, you would then petition the court. Then, a judge will hold a hearing to decide if the record can be sealed.
ACHIEVE A CLEAN SLATE WITH AN EXPUNGEMENT
- Administrative Expungement
- Automatic Juvenile Expungement
- Early Juvenile Expungement
- Human Trafficking Expungement
- Juvenile Diversion Expungement
- Lawful Self-Defense Expungement
KNOW THE RESTRICTIONS REGARDING YOUR CRIMINAL RECORD
Because the nature of getting a criminal record sealed or expunged is ideal, the process itself is not a wide open option for everyone. There are limitations and restrictions to keep in mind, and they can vary depending on what is on your criminal record. For example, Section 943.059, F.S. states, “…if a person has been adjudicated guilty (as an adult) of any criminal offense in any jurisdiction (or adjudicated delinquent, as a juvenile, in Florida for any felony or for certain specified misdemeanors), whether or not related to the charge(s) that the person is applying for, the record is ineligible for sealing and the application will be denied. FDLE conducts state, national, and criminal traffic records checks when processing applications.” In a nutshell, you should keep in mind the following: you can have certain cases expunged as an adult or from when you were a juvenile, you can only seal or expunge one criminal episode, and felony convictions are not included. Additionally, a court appearance is not usually required, but it is something you should consider because it only helps to make a better impression.