You are tired of people telling you, “I told you so.” You have long known that a criminal conviction from your past will be a hindrance in securing a solid and good-paying job that will support your family.
But an option worth exploring may help you. It is time to consider seeking an expungement – the sealing of your criminal record, thus preventing people, organizations and companies from outside the criminal justice system from viewing it.
Seals your criminal record
An expungement removes an arrest, conviction, dismissal and not guilty verdict from the public record. Whether you are a person looking for a job, seeking admittance to a university or an apartment, you may benefit from having your criminal record expunged.
In all of these scenarios, your criminal record is bound to be discovered through background checks. The likely result: rejection. A person may be eligible for an expungement related to misdemeanor and certain felony charges.
An attorney can help determine if you qualify
How do you know whether an expungement is realistic for you to pursue? Contact an attorney, who will help determine whether you qualify. The process may take up to six months, so if you are considering seeking an expungement, it is crucial to begin the process as soon as possible.
But you must remember that your record remains. Representatives of the court system and law enforcement still have access to those criminal records.
Colorado’s Clean Slate Act
States around the country have become more aware of the impediments that a criminal record has for people looking for work.
In Colorado last year, Gov. Jared Polis signed into law the Clean Slate Act, leading to the sealing of old criminal records as long as the person remains crime-free for a certain amount of time.
The law states that arrest records that do not lead to a conviction are automatically sealed. Petty offenses will become sealed four years after the disposition, misdemeanor records after seven years and certain felonies after 10 years. Violent crimes are not eligible for the Clean Slate Act.
New opportunities
A criminal record has set you back to start too many times in your life. Seeking an expungement may provide you with a fresh start and open up your life to new opportunities.