Criminal records can stay with you and affect various aspects of your life for years and years. Whether you are applying for a loan, seeking employment, or wanting to buy a home, having a criminal record can have a negative impact on your endeavors. This is why it is so important to have a qualified Queens criminal attorney from the start of your case to help prevent a conviction. The good news is that even if you have already been convicted of an offense, you may be eligible for an expungement or sealing of your record.
For juvenile offenders who are under 18 years of age when they are convicted, their criminal record will automatically be sealed. What this means it that only law enforcement will be able to access their criminal history and it will not show up on background checks or to the general public.
Pursuing Expungement or Sealing Your Record as an Adult
If you seal your record, only law enforcement agencies will be able to access your record, just like with juvenile offenders. To have your record expunged would mean that your entire record would be removed from all systems and would not even be accessible to law enforcement.
The Expungement Process
In order to have your record completely cleared, you have to petition with the courts and request the expunction. You will need to have your case number, arrest date, name of law enforcement agency that arrested you, the charges filed against you, the outcome of your charges and the completion date.
Due to the fact that this process can be complicated and that it differs from state to state, it is best to retain a lawyer who knows how to navigate you through the various steps so that no mistakes are made. If your expungement is denied, you may be able to request an appeal, but you will likely have to wait a number of years before you can request the appeal.
100 Years of Collective Experience – Free Consultation
Retain the representation of a top-rated Queens and New York City criminal defense attorney from Musa-Obregon Law PC if you are seeking the expungement of your criminal record. We have 100 years of combined legal experience and a history of successful cases throughout NY.
Call for your free case evaluation with our NY firm today.