What is a CRIMINAL ARREST HISTORY RECORD EXPUNGEMENT
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An expungement, or expunction, of a criminal arrest history record is the removing of an arrest history record from the public record.  Whenever anyone is physically arrested, and even some of the times when people are given notices to appear or summons, a public record is created that indicates the arrest date and charges.  Most people do not realize that this information is available to the public and for many years it was indeed hard to obtain even as a public record.  However, all that has changed with the advent of the internet.  Today many people are finding out that their arrest information is not only public but also accessible.  Potential employers, lenders, apartments, and student loans all make decisions factoring in a persons past criminal record.  The problem is that an arrest history is usually incomplete and most people do not know how to read them.  Therefore a burglary arrest that was dismissed still creates the dreaded vision of a person slipping into a home at night rather than the actual entering into a neighbors garage at noon to retrieve one's own long borrowed lawn-mower.  An expunged record is no longer subject to novice examination and in most states you can deny that the expunged arrest ever occurred.

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Many States allow for citizens to "remove" past criminal arrest histories from the public record by sealing or expunging that record.  These States have their own statutes with their own procedure for sealing or expunging a criminal arrest record or history.  Therefore, it is important that you find an attorney familiar with the laws and procedural rules of a particular State.

Removing or cleaning your arrest record can assist in employment opportunities for those between jobs, just getting back into the job market, or for students looking for an apartment or preparing for graduation.  Mistakes happen.  Fortunately many States realize this and also realize that handicapping a person for a youthful or single mistake is not beneficial to anyone.  Most employers today not only ask about past arrests and convictions but also run background checks.  With the advent of the internet, often times this information is instantaneous.  States such as Florida, will allow a citizen to legally deny the existence of a past arrest if it has been sealed or expunged.  This includes denying it to potential employers* and not having it show up on a subsequent background check.

Go to the State Listings page to find the state you were arrested in.  By clicking on it you will be directed to a webpage with attorney information.

DATA PIRATES

Beware of private database companies that collect information on us and then sell it to anyone with a credit card.  These companies are not regulated and sell inaccurate information about us all.  Click HERE for more info.

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*Each State may have qualified exceptions to what type of employment a person with a sealed or expunged record can deny the past arrest.  Check with your state specific attorney for details.