Criminal Record Expungement in Birmingham

A person’s prospects in life can be severely limited because of one mistake they made in the past. A criminal conviction on your record can damage your ability to get a job or live where you want to live.The good news is that, in certain circumstances, you can expunge a criminal conviction, thereby removing it from your record permanently. But this is not always easy to do, which is why you should talk to

But this is not always easy to do, which is why you should talk to experienced lawyers who understand the expungement process and can make it work for you. When a criminal record is expunged, it is as though the conviction never happened. If you want to know more about the process, contact a Birmingham expungement lawyer as soon right away.

How the Process Works

In general, relatively low-level criminal offenses qualify for expungement, as do first-time offenses. Individuals seeking this kind of removal will typically have to demonstrate to the court that they have avoided any sort of criminal activity since the conviction. The courts will also allow expungement of arrests and court actions in which the defendant was found not guilty.

The law concerning expungement varies quite a bit from one state to another. Alabama has relatively strict rules on the subject, but certain items on a person’s record can be removed:

• Expungement of forensic evidence, such as DNA, samples is allowed if there is no conviction or if a conviction was later overruled
• Information about juvenile offenses can be sealed and then eventually erased
• Arrest records can be removed if the individual never is charged or is subsequently exonerated
• Material from investigations into child, spousal, or elder abuse also can be destroyed
• Legal documents can be altered to correct inaccurate information

Records that are sealed can be unsealed due to a later conviction, so it is important to keep the process going until the records qualify for complete expungement in Birmingham. Minors can ask that their records be sealed after two years have gone by since any court order is entered. Once the person reaches age 23, the individual or a Birmingham expungement attorney on their behalf, can ask that the records be expunged entirely.

Correcting the Record

If an individual is trying to correct the information on their record, they will be asked to provide some basic information:

• The case number
• The name of the arresting agency
• The date of the arrest
• The charge that was filed

Birmingham expungement lawyers who have experience dealing with the criminal courts can help their client assemble all the facts they will need to challenge your existing record, as well as explain to the court how the new information was obtained and why it is reliable.

Adult record correction requests are generally handled by the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center. Actions involving abuse investigations must be submitted to the agency that investigated the abuse allegations.

Seeking a Pardon

If a person has something on their record that is not eligible for the expungement process, an alternative is to ask for a pardon.

A person seeking a pardon in Alabama must have been released from prison and paroled without further criminal trouble for three years. The pardon must be requested in writing, with an explanation of why it is deserved.

But while a pardon restores many civil and political rights, it does not completely erase the evidence of the criminal conviction from a person’s record.

Contact a Birmingham Expungement Attorney Today

If you believe your life is being held back due to something on your record, call to Birmingham expungement attorneys today to see if the expungement process can help you.

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