Duval County Criminal Defense Lawyer FLA Legal Professionals, LLC On Sealing And Expunging Criminal Records
Very few people want to be judged for their entire life based on a one-time mistake that they made when they were a teenager or young adult. As a criminal law attorney serving clients in Jacksonville, Saint Augustine, and the rest of northeastern Florida, I’ve helped clients beat criminal charges in the Duval, Clay, Baker, Flagler, and Saint Johns criminal court systems. But even if the state attorney drops the case, or you receive an acquittal at trial or withhold of adjudication, your arrest and criminal record is still available to the public and potential employers. A single misdemeanor or felony arrest appearing in a background check can cost you an employment opportunity and be a continuous source of embarrassment. The good news is that in many cases a criminal arrest record can be sealed or expunged so that the public is not able to access it and learn the details of your arrest.
Sealing Records Versus Expunction
If certain criteria are met, the State of Florida allows for the sealing or expunction of both adult and juvenile criminal records. Regardless of whether your records are sealed or expunged, the general public will not be able to view the affected charges. The difference between a sealed record and an expunged record is that certain government agencies can access a sealed record without a court order. With an expunction, those same agencies would be informed of the record, but would have to obtain a court order to be able to view the details.
Criminal Defense Attorney Sealing and Expunging Criminal Histories
Having a criminal history sealed or expunged is something the state of Florida takes very seriously. In both cases, there are conditions and provisions that must be met before your application can be considered:
- You must obtain a certificate of eligibility for either sealing or expunction from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement
- You or your attorney must determine whether or not your charge is one of the many that are eligible for record sealing or expunction
- You must not have any prior sealed records or expunctions
- You must sign an affidavit swearing that to the best of your knowledge you qualify to have your records sealed or expunged.
If you have been charged with a crime in the state of Florida and believe that you meet the criteria to have your records expunged or sealed, you should speak to a qualified criminal law attorney who handles these types of actions.