The Benefits Of Expunging Your Criminal Record
Posted on: 23 November 2017
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If you have completed your criminal sentence, paid back your restitution and shown that you are staying out of trouble, you may be able to file to have your criminal record expunged. Having a criminal record expunged is an uphill battle. It requires you, or an attorney you hire, to convince a judge that he should expunge the criminal conviction from your record. Because it can be such an uphill battle, you may find yourself wondering if it is something that is truly beneficial. There are indeed many benefits to expunging your criminal record. Here are a few of those benefits.
Your Conviction No Longer Shows Up on Most Criminal Background Checks
The biggest benefit to expunging your criminal record is that your conviction will no longer show up on most criminal background checks. There are still a few agencies that can see this information, but the average person will no longer have access to this. Essentially, an expungement means that you are no longer a convicted criminal.
You Can Get a Job You May Have Been Excluded From Before
Another benefit to expunging your criminal record is that you may now be able to obtain a job you could not obtain before. One of the top reasons why judges approve expungements is so individuals can work in fields that they otherwise could not with a criminal conviction. Most teachers cannot get hired with a criminal conviction and it can be hard to get a nursing license with a criminal conviction. If you have gone to school and have the skills needed to work in that field, a judge may grant you an expungement so you can now get a job you couldn't before.
You Can Live Where You Want
The last benefit to expunging your criminal record is that you can live wherever you want. If you rent, you may have been precluded from renting in certain apartments complexes or condo buildings. That is because some of these companies have strict policies about not renting to anyone with a criminal conviction. When you get an expungement, you can live where you want, without worrying about this issue any longer.
If you are interested in having a criminal conviction expunged from your record, it is best to talk to and work with an attorney who takes on these cases. Proving that you deserve to have your criminal record expunged is not easy. A judge will want to know why you want this done and how it will be beneficial to both you and society. An attorney can help you prepare a strong case to increase your chances of an expungement being granted, allowing you to move on from your criminal past.
Contact a law firm, like Goodman Katz Koonce & Maroc, for more help.