ASSISTING WITH THE EXPUNGEMENT AND SEALING OF CRIMINAL RECORDS

ASSISTING WITH THE EXPUNGEMENT AND SEALING OF CRIMINAL RECORDS

After any arrest or criminal charge in Illinois, you will have a criminal record. Your criminal record will exist even if your case was ultimately dismissed and will be available to the public. This means that potential employers, landlords, or educational institutions will be able to see that you were accused of a crime whether or not you were ever convicted of an offense. The appearance of an arrest alone may be enough to deny you of certain important opportunities throughout your life.

Fortunately, the Illinois Criminal Identification Act¹ allows individuals in certain situations to clear arrests, charges, probation supervisions, or even convictions from their criminal records through expungement or sealing. With an expungement, all or part of your record is actually physically destroyed so that it is no longer available for anyone to discover. A sealed record is not destroyed but is made inaccessible by the general public. This means that while employers may not see the record, it will still be available for law enforcement and other authorities.

Anyone seeking an expungement or sealing of a criminal record should contact an experienced Southern Illinois expungement lawyer at Lawler Brown as soon as possible.

RECORDS THAT MAY BE EXPUNGED OR SEALED IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

Not every record can be expunged or sealed. For example, criminal convictions and supervisions are generally not eligible for expungement under Illinois law. However, certain special types of felony probation (such as Drug Court) are not considered to be convictions and, therefore, may be an exception to the law. Because of the many possible exceptions, it is always important to have an experienced expungement lawyer review your individual situation.

Additionally, though most felony convictions may not qualify for sealing or expungement, the following may be some exceptions:

• Class 3 or Class 4 felonies
• Certain drug-related felonies under the Cannabis Control Act² or Section 402 of the Controlled Substances Act³
• Some prostitution-related Class 4 felonies

CONTACT AN EXPUNGEMENT ATTORNEY TODAY TO DISCUSS YOUR SITUATION

Overall, whether your criminal record shows an arrest, a charge, probation, or misdemeanor or felony conviction, you should always contact a Southern Illinois expungement attorneys at Lawler Brown to discuss the possibility of clearing your record. Call us today at 618-993-2222 for help today.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=350&ChapterID=5

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1937&ChapterID=53

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=1941&ChapterID=53

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