Have you been convicted of a crime and are hoping to
get it cleared off your record? That process is known as an “expungement.” Expungement
is a court-ordered processing which the legal record of an arrest or a criminal
conviction is "sealed," or erased in the eyes of the law. When a
conviction is expunged, the process may also be referred to as "setting aside
a criminal conviction." The availability of expungement, and the procedure
for getting an arrest or conviction expunged, will vary according to the state
or county in which the arrest or conviction occurred.
An expungement ordinarily means that an arrest or
conviction is "sealed," or erased from a person's criminal record for
most purposes. After the expungement process is complete, an arrest or a
criminal conviction ordinarily does not need to be disclosed by the person who
was arrested or convicted. For example, when filling out an application for a
job or apartment, an applicant whose arrest or conviction has been expunged
does not need to disclose that arrest or conviction.
In most cases, no record of an expunged arrest or
conviction will appear if a potential employer, educational institution, or
other company conducts a public records inspection or background search of an
individual's criminal record.
An expunged arrest or conviction is not necessarily
completely erased, in the literal sense of the word. An expungement will
ordinarily be an accessible part of a person's criminal record, viewable by
certain government agencies, including law enforcement and the criminal courts.
This limited accessibility is sometimes referred to as a criminal record being
"under seal." In some legal proceedings, such as during sentencing
for any crimes committed after an expungement, or in immigration / deportation
proceedings, an expunged conviction that is "under seal" may still be
considered as proof of a prior conviction.
If you or a loved one is in a bind as a result of a
criminal charge, immediately contact a Seattle Criminal Attorney. A Criminal
lawyer is not going to judge you, and understands that everyone makes mistakes.
Hiring a Seattle Criminal Lawyer to help can – at a minimum – reduce penalties,
and can help direct people on how to best deal with their criminal charge, and
many times even get them dismissed. So it should go without saying that someone
cited for a misdemeanor or felony should hire a qualified Seattle Criminal Lawyer as soon as possible. Criminal charges can cause havoc on a person’s
personal and professional life. Anyone charged with a crime in Washington State
should immediately seek the assistance of a seasoned Seattle Criminal Lawyer.