Our Durham Criminal Defense Attorneys Help Clients Get Dismissed Criminal Charges and Qualifying Criminal Convictions Removed from Criminal Record
A criminal charge, even one that was dismissed, can have a devasting impact on a person’s future. Even if a charge was ultimately dismissed, records related to a charge (e.g., arrest warrant, criminal citation, disposition record, etc.) remain part of the public record; and therefore, continue to show up on criminal background checks.
So, when prospective employers, educational facilities, licensing boards, and other interested parties, conduct a criminal background search, they will still see the dismissed charge. What’s more, unfortunately, they may not understand that the charge was dismissed. Even if they are able to see where the charge was ultimately dismissed, they still may consider the fact that you were previously charged as a reason to disqualify you from further consideration.
Our Durham Criminal Defense Lawyers Help Clients obtain an expunction (also referred to as “expungement”) to remove dismissed charges from Criminal Record
If you were charged with a crime and the charge was ultimately discharged, you may be eligible to apply for an expunction (commonly referred to as “expungement”) of the charge from your record. If the expunction is granted, any and all records related to the charge, including, but not limited to records maintained by the Courts, law enforcement agencies, and the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI), will be destroyed.
To obtain an expunction of a criminal record, our Durham Criminal Defense Lawyers will draft and file a petition with the Court. Once approved, all custodians of any records related to the charge (e.g., courts, police, sheriff, etc.), will be directed to destroy all records related to the charge.
Our Durham Criminal Defense Attorneys Can Even Help Remove Certain Criminal Convictions for Eligible Clients
Even if you have a conviction, you may be eligible to have the conviction removed from your record. While not all convictions can be removed, there are a number of convictions that can. For example, depending on the circumstances, certain non-violent misdemeanors and felonies may be removed after a period of time. In addition, certain convictions for offenses may be removed if the offense occurred while a person was under the age of 18. There are other certain convictions which may be removed if the offense occurred while the person was under the age of 21. There are also certain provisions which apply specifically to drug offenses, gang-related offenses, and prostitution. To find out if you qualify to have an expunction of a criminal conviction, contact one of the Durham Criminal Defense Lawyers.