Benefits of Expunging a Criminal Record

Benefits of Expunging a Criminal Record

Criminal record expungement can be extremely beneficial to a defendant on many different fronts. Criminal record expungement means that a defendant’s criminal record is completely sealed or erased and is not ordinarily visible to the general public. As a result, post-expungement, a defendant will not ordinarily have to report a criminal conviction to a current or prospective educational institution or employer. In most cases, a criminal defendant will be able to answer honestly that he or she has no criminal record. If your case is completed, your criminal record may be expunged under Florida law. An experienced St. Petersburg criminal expungement attorney will be able to review the individual circumstances of your case and may be able to file an expungement petition with the court on your behalf.

Sealing Criminal Records

In the State of Florida, a criminal arrest record may be sealed if all of the following requirements are met:

• The Court withheld the adjudication of guilt (i.e. found guilty but not convicted).
• The offense is not prohibited by Florida statute.
• The defendant has never been convicted of any other crime and has never had any other Florida arrest record sealed or expunged.

Benefits of Record Expungement

It goes without saying that criminal record expungement is virtually always a positive thing for a criminal defendant. One of the most important benefits is that current and prospective employers and educational institutions will not be able to view a defendant’s criminal history. Since many employers and schools are performing criminal background checks prior to making hiring and admissions decisions, a records expungement can help a defendant obtain their desired employment position or school admission. A prior criminal record can adversely affect living arrangements, as many landlords are hesitant to rent a room or apartment to someone with a criminal history. Even if a landlord is willing to rent to someone with a criminal background, the rent will almost certainly be higher than usual. A criminal record expungement eliminates this problem altogether.

Contact an Experienced St. Petersburg Expungement Attorney Today

Active criminal records can pose all sorts of problems for individuals throughout their lifetimes. A criminal record expungement, however, allows an individual to start anew without the looming shadow of a criminal record. If you have a criminal record that is ready to be expunged, you should contact the St. Petersburg expungement attorneys at Khonsari Law Group today at 727-269-5300, or contact us online.  1 https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0900-0999/0943/Sections/0943.0585.html