Criminal Record Expungement
A criminal record can severely impact your life in many ways. Your juvenile or adult arrest record can cause long-lasting damage to your reputation and significantly limit your educational and professional opportunities. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, most employers conduct extensive background checks before making a hiring decision. As a consequence, an individual with a record from the criminal or juvenile justice system will often have difficulty getting into college, entering the military or finding employment in their chosen profession.
The Expungement Process in Pennsylvania
You may be able to avoid these serious consequences by applying to have your juvenile or adult criminal record erased through the expungement process. Individuals who have successfully completed the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program are also eligible for the expungement of the records of their case. An expungement will result in the destruction of the records related to an individual’s apprehension, arrest, detention, trial or adjudication for an offense resolved within the adult or juvenile court systems. An expungement will result in the destruction of the juvenile and adult criminal records of the case.
Benefits of an Expungement
After the expungement process is complete, the adult and juvenile records of your case would not be available to the public and would not be accessible to employers, landlords, financial lenders and others who may conduct background checks. Certain summary offenses such as underage drinking and disorderly conduct are also eligible for expungement.
Protection from Abuse Record Expungement
A record from a withdrawn or dismissed Pennsylvania Protection from Abuse (PFA) case cane be just as damaging as a criminal record. In an extremely competitive job market, the existence of a PFA record can negatively impact your ability to find employment in your chosen profession. In addition, a PFA record can cause tremendous damage to your reputation among your friends, acquaintances and other Individuals in your community. A PFA expungement will prevent the protection from abuse records from appearing on a background check conducted as part of the employment application process.
I can determine whether you are eligible for criminal record expungement or PFA record expungement in Bucks County, Montgomery County or the surrounding counties. Contact me at (215) 752-5282 for a free consultation or fill out the confidential contact form for an immediate response. Appointments are available after business hours and on weekends.
