If you have been charged with or convicted of a crime that has followed you around on your criminal record, expungement may be an option for you. This means that the record could be sealed so that landlords, employers, and others that do background checks cannot see the charge or conviction. To them, the record doesn’t exist, although law enforcement can still see the record.
With the help of a Mankato criminal defense attorney, it is possible to have your problematic criminal record expunged if you can show that it is causing you a hardship and if it is an offense that can be expunged.
Working With You To Expunge Your Record
Expungement is not a simple task. It is important to not have the expectation that the expungement is going to be easy or to expect the expungement to happen. If the judge feels that the expungement is not in the best interest of the public, then it may not happen. You also can’t have acts such as DWI, sex crimes, and murder/manslaughter/homicide expunged from your record.
If at least two years have passed, you show the judge that the record has caused you a hardship, and you show that you are rehabilitated and expungement isn’t going to endanger the public, it is possible to have the record expunged. While the effort is a difficult one, the possibility of winning the expungement is well worth that effort.
Your attorney will review the records and your current status in order to tell you from the very beginning whether or not there is a good chance of expungement. In other words, you won’t be put through a process where expungement will be impossible.
Guiding You Through The Expungement Process
Your southern Minnesota criminal defense attorney will tell you what to expect, will file paperwork on your behalf, and will inform you of what is happening. Once the request for expungement is filed, it can take 60 days to be granted a hearing. Once the expungement is granted, it can take another 60 days before the records are sealed. Once they are sealed, you can apply for jobs, fill out rental property applications, and do other things without your criminal record impeding your future.
Contact A Mankato Criminal Defense Lawyer
If you have been charged with a crime at any time or you were convicted of a low level offense that could be expunged, it is important to speak to an attorney to see if expungement is a possibility. If so, then the process can move forward to try to have a record expunged so you can move on with your life. To learn more about your rights and options, call Farrish Johnson Law Office, CHTD at 507-625-2525 for a free consultation.
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