A criminal conviction on your record can seriously impact your future. It can be harder to rent an apartment, find employment or get certain professional certifications. If you made a mistake in the past and find that it is still affecting you years later, it’s hard to feel like there’s hope for a better future. That is where record expungement comes in.
What is Record Expungement?
What it means to expunge your record varies by state, as each state sets laws on the particulars. For example, in Mississippi, it means that your record is wiped clean of past arrests and convictions. In California, expungement means that your conviction will be changed to a not guilty plea and show that charges were dropped instead of erasing the arrest and conviction entirely. It can be difficult to navigate the particulars, and contracting legal services Vicksburg MS can help you navigate the process successfully.
What Can Be Expunged?
What can be expunged varies by state. For example, in Mississippi, you can get certain felonies erased such as a bad check or shoplifting, misdemeanors for which you were not charged or the charges were dismissed and an arrest in which the case was dropped and you were released. In California, you can get your record expunged if you’ve completed probation or are not serving a sentence for an offense.
What Are the Benefits of Expungement?
It’s beneficial to pursue this route, if your charges qualify for expungement, to open up possibilities for yourself in the future. Expungement will mean that when a background check is run for employment or renting an apartment, for example, that it either won’t show up on your record at all or that you plead not guilty and the charges were dismissed. Employers and landlords prefer to work with people who have a clean record, so it elevates your chances for employment and housing.
Pursue a better future for yourself by getting your record expunged.