Criminal Record Expungement in Crenshaw County

Having a criminal charge on your record can permanently impede your life in many respects: when you are trying to get a new job or advance your career, moving into a new home, opening a new credit card, or applying for a loan. Criminal records are public information, and anyone running a background check has the ability to access that information.

A law passed in 2014 allows individuals in Alabama to work with a Crenshaw County expungement lawyer to remove certain criminal charges from their record. If you would like to explore this option, a skilled defense attorney could review your particular case and explain your legal options for expungement.

Understanding Expungement Law

Many individuals are unaware that if they were arrested and charged with a crime, the arrest still appears on their criminal record even if the case was dismissed or they were found not guilty. Consequently, anyone running a background check would see the arrest information and the charge brought against the individual.

Under Alabama state law, an individual and their legal counsel could appeal to get the arrest and charge taken off their record. A knowledgeable expungement lawyer in Crenshaw County could go over the specific criteria that an individual must meet to qualify for this kind of procedure.

Qualifying for Expungement

An individual in Alabama is able to request an expungement for any non-violent felony or non-felony charges. This could include misdemeanor criminal charges, traffic violations, or municipal ordinance violations if a minimum of one of the following criteria is applicable:

• The charge was dismissed
• The charge was not billed by a grand jury
• The defendant was found not guilty
• The charge was dismissed without prejudice more than two years ago and has not been refiled, and the defendant has not been convicted of another charge

A charge for various drug, traffic or other non-violent crimes may also be expunged if the defendant completes a court-mandated program and more than a year has passed since the charge was levied. While the process for expungement might seem confusing and daunting, a Crenshaw County expungement attorney could help clear up how it works and ensure a filing party progresses through it as efficiently as possible.

Difference Between a Pardon and Expungement

The two legal terms pardon and expungement are often—and incorrectly—used interchangeably. A pardon is simply the government stating in an official capacity that someone is forgiven for their crime.

It should be noted that this crime may still appear on the defendant’s record, which could be accessed by anyone running a background check on them. Alternatively, an expungement completely erases the crime from a defendant’s record so that it cannot be seen in background checks once in effect.

Get in Touch With a Crenshaw County Expungement Attorney

The process to file for expungement may be tedious and confusing and could require significant documentation, leading to confusion, frustration, and plenty of unanswered questions. An accomplished Crenshaw County expungement lawyer could discuss with you if your charge is able to be expunged as well as the legal process and documents needed.

Getting your record expunged can greatly help your future, given the widespread benefits associated with no longer having a criminal charge on your record. Do not wait to speak with an experienced attorney, though, as there may be some time constraints for your case. Call today to get started.

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