Criminal Record Expungement

One of the highest prices you pay for being charged with a crime is the lasting impact of a criminal record that can be seen by anyone who does a background check on you.

When you have a criminal record it is tougher to find a good job, because an increasing number of companies now run background checks on their job applicants. If a prospective employer finds that you have a criminal record, it may be the factor that causes them to choose a competing candidate over you.

You may have made a mistake but you deserve a second chance. An experienced defense attorney can help you expunge or wipe clean your public record.

Criminal Record Expungement

In Pennsylvania, you have a criminal record if you have ever been arrested or received a citation. However, some criminal records can be expunged if they meet specific criteria.

If your charges were dropped, withdrawn, dismissed, or if you took an Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition (ARD) program as the result of a DUI, your criminal record can usually be expunged.

In other words, if you were charged with a felony or misdemeanor but you were not convicted of the charges against you and you did not plead guilty to them, your record can probably be expunged.

If your charges did end in a conviction, it is unlikely your record can be expunged.

If you have a summary offense conviction that is five or more years old, and you have not been arrested since, a recent Pennsylvania law has made it possible for you to have your record expunged.

If you were convicted of underage drinking but are now 21 or more, you can have your record expunged if you met all the conditions of your sentence.

What A Lawyer Can Do

Your attorney will file a motion for expungement with the Department of Court Records, Criminal Division. If accepted, the expungement will be granted by an order from the Court of Common Pleas.

How A Lawyer Will Help

When you need the fresh start an expungement of your criminal record provides, and you meet the qualifications criteria, an experienced attorney can help you wipe your public record clean.

Pennsylvania Criminal Record Expungement

The procedures for obtaining an expungement order are described and defined under The Pennsylvania Code under Title 18 Chapter 9122. Read the code here.