Expungements.

An Expungement is when a conviction is permanently erased from your record giving the appearance that you are free from any previous criminal conviction. In other words, an Expungement is the legal equivalent of the conviction never having happened in the first place. Once an Expungement is granted, your records are destroyed from each law enforcement agency possessing any information regarding the expunged case.

The Purpose of an Expungement

Even if a charge has been dismissed or a person has been found not guilty at trial, the arrest will remain on their record until it is expunged. So, even if you are asked on a job application whether or not you have ever been convicted of a crime, the answer would be “no” but that employer will still be able to see the arrest on your criminal background. You could still be denied a job or credit applications based on this or, at the very least, have to explain the circumstances of the arrest.A prior record can keep you from getting approval for financial assistance, deprive you of getting an apartment, and is cause for an employer to refrain from hiring you. All of this can be extremely discouraging, especially if you have turned your life around and are trying to make a fresh start.