As a general rule, criminal court records are public. This means anyone can go to the local courthouse to find out if someone has ever been charged, arrested, or convicted with some crime. Some sate have ways to hide or even erase a criminal record, so that almost no one can discover an arrest or conviction.
Almost every state has different laws about sealing and “expunging” persons records. Some states don’t allow any records to be expunged or sealed. Some do allow one or both, but they might not allow either one for certain crimes, like murder, kidnapping and sex-related crimes.
The terms expungement and sealing are often used interchangeably when it comes to criminal records, but there are a few differences. For instance, “Sealing” a criminal record is when a court file is hidden away from the general public. “Expunging” means that a criminal record completely destroyed as if the crime never happened. Basically, they’re are almost the same thing. There are very special circumstances when a sealed record may be revealed or when the defendant (the person arrested or convicted) has to inform someone that they have a prior arrest or conviction that’s been expunged.
For a free telephonic consultation and evaluation of your case or to find out more information on Expungements, please contact criminal defense lawyer Rodney Nosratabadi today at (310) 663-1787 for Los Angeles Areas or (714) 955-8365 in Orange County and Inland Empire areasRelated Links for the Los Angeles County Area
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- Criminal Defense Lawyer in Manhattan Beach
- DUI Defense Attorney in Monterey Park
Related Links for the Orange County Area
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- Child Abuse Criminal Defense Lawyer in Rancho Santa Margarita
- Sex Crime Lawyer in Newport Beach
Related Links for the Riverside County Area
- Criminal Defense Lawyer in Coachella
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Related Links for the San Bernardino County Area
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