PA Criminal Record Expungement Lawyer

Everyone has made bad decisions, but errors in judgment should not haunt someone for the rest of their life.  Fortunately, Pennsylvania allows individuals to petition the court to expunge their criminal histories.  If the court grants the expungement, the authorities must destroy the records of your arrest, booking, detention, conviction, and sentencing for an offense committed in the adult justice system.  As an experienced PA criminal record expungement lawyer, I will help you put a past mistake behind you.

Consequences of a Criminal Record

Unfortunately, most people are unaware of the consequences of having a criminal record.  The effects of a criminal record may make it difficult for you to become employed, work in your chosen profession, or advance in your current job.

In addition, your criminal history may prevent you from working in jobs requiring professional licensing, certification, or a background check.

Criminal Record and Employment

Most employers will use one of the following background check services before deciding to make you a job offer:

• Checkr
• GoodHire
• BeenVerified
• Intelius
• TruthFinder
• IntelliCorp

Also, a DUI arrest record can make it hard for you to get a job in any field that involves driving, such as food service delivery, trucking, or package delivery services such as Amazon, FedEx, or UPS.  Therefore, you should search for record expungement lawyers who can assist you in getting your arrest record expunged.

Is Expungement Worth It

Yes.  It is a common misconception that the effects of a criminal record only become apparent after you have been rejected for a job, housing, or other opportunities.  The truth is, the longer you wait to seek expungement, the more you risk limiting your earning potential and professional growth.

As a consequence, your earning potential may be severely limited.  Fortunately, under PA expungement law, you can petition the court to get your criminal records expunged.

A criminal record expungement can significantly increase your employment, housing, educational, professional, and financial opportunities.

As a PA expungement lawyer, I can help remove these roadblocks to achieving success in your personal and professional life.

How Much Do Lawyers Charge for Expungement

Before considering criminal record expungement, many clients ask: How much does it cost to expunge your record.  In most cases, the expungement lawyers cost will be based on the type and number of charges to be cleared and the likelihood that the District Attorney will oppose the expungement.

Also, expungement attorneys will offer drastically different prices.

Fortunately, I offer expungement legal services at a flat fee at a reasonable cost.  In most situations, my expungement attorney cost will fit within your budget.  Contact me at (215) 752-5282 if you are seeking to hire an affordable expungement attorney.

Expungement Attorney PA

Your initial question may be: how do I find the best expungement attorney near me?  You will quickly find many people advertising themselves as the best expungement lawyer.  Fortunately, I am among the most experienced expungement lawyers in PA.

Lawyers to Expunge Records

Lawyers that do expungement are referred to as expunge lawyers, record expunged attorney, or expunge record lawyer.  These titles refer to lawyers who specialize in Pennsylvania record expungement.

I have helped people clear their records in Bucks County, Philadelphia County, Montgomery County, Chester County, Northampton County, Delaware County, and the surrounding Pennsylvania Counties.  Finally, I offer a very reasonable expungement cost.

Looking for an experienced expunge lawyer.  Contact me at (215) 752-5282 for a free initial consultation, or fill out the confidential contact form for an immediate response.  Appointments are available after business hours and on weekends.

PA Expungement Eligibility

You are eligible for expungement if your case falls within any of the categories in the above chart.  Are you searching for one of the best criminal record expungement attorneys.  If so, contact me at (215) 752-5282 to discuss taking the next steps to clear your record.

Can Felonies be Expunged

One of the most common questions I receive is: what felonies can be expunged?  With some exceptions, most juvenile felony offenses can be expunged.  Adult felony charges may also be expunged under the following circumstances:

• You were acquitted of the felony crime after a trial (automatic expungement)
• You successfully completed ARD for a felony offense
• The district attorney withdrew or nolle prossed the felony charge
• You were convicted of a felony crime, are 70 years of age, and have been free of arrest or prosecution for 10 the previous 10 years
• You were convicted of a felony offense and received a Governor’s Pardon

How to Get Record Expunged PA

Many of my clients ask: How does expungement work in PA.  The Pennsylvania expungement process can take up to 6 months to complete.  The proceeding begins when your lawyer files an expungement petition and supporting paperwork with the Clerk of Courts in the county where the police filed the charges.

PA Expungement Process

Most people are unfamiliar with the procedures for applying for expungement in PA.  The expungement process, a crucial step towards a fresh start, is a collaborative effort involving you and your lawyer.  The expungement timeline includes the following:

• First, your lawyer files the Expungement Petition with the Clerk of Courts in the Court of Common Pleas
• At the same time, your lawyer serves the District Attorney with a copy of the Expungement Petition
• Within 60 days of being served with the petition, the District Attorney must file a consent to expungement, objection, or take no action
• Then, no later than 14 days after the 60-day deadline has expired, the expungement judge must either grant, deny, or schedule a hearing on the Expungement Petition
• In most cases, if the District Attorney approves the expungement, the judge will grant the Expungement Petition without scheduling a hearing
• If the judge schedules an expungement hearing, you are permitted to present evidence such as character references, rehabilitation efforts, or employment difficulties due to the existence of the criminal record to convince the judge to grant the expungement
• At the end of the expungement hearing or shortly after that, the judge will either grant or deny your petition
• If the judge grants the expungement order, and no appeal is filed within 30 days, the Clerk of Courts will serve a certified copy of the Order of Expungement to each criminal justice agency listed on the petition
• Most of the agencies will send a letter to your lawyer confirming the destruction of the criminal records once they have received and complied with the Expungement Order

The expungement judge usually grants the order unless the district attorney presents compelling evidence that preserving the records would serve the public interest.  Interested in expungement?  Contact a Pennsylvania expungement lawyer at (215) 752-5282.

What Happens After Expungement

The county clerk of courts will forward certified copies of the Order for Expungement to all agencies possessing your criminal case records.  Those records may include information about your apprehension, arrest, detention, processing, booking, trial, and court hearings for an offense in the adult criminal justice system.

In addition, those agencies must destroy all paperwork and electronic documentation related to your case.  Finally, these offices are required to provide your expungement attorney with written verification of the destruction of the files.

How Long Does Expungement Take in PA?

One of the most common questions I receive from clients is: How long does it take for expungement.  In most Pennsylvania Counties, the Pennsylvania expungement process takes approximately 6 months to complete.  The 6-month time frame begins when your attorney files the Expungement Petition.

The expungement process ends when the last court office, police department, or other agency completes the destruction of your criminal records.

Does an Expungement Clear My Record?

Yes.  A criminal record expungement will result in the mandatory destruction of the records related to your arrest history, conviction, dismissal or acquittal of the charges.  Otherwise, law enforcement offices and court agencies would maintain those records.

Clear My Record

Also, if you do not erase your record, your adult criminal history would remain accessible through a public access court website for employers and others to view.  Trying to locate an expungement attorney near me.  If so, contact me for a free review of your case.

Do Expunged Records Show Up on Background Checks?

No, once the expungement process is complete, your arrest record will not appear on a background check, including an employment or federal background check.

In Pennsylvania, the expungement process is considered complete only when all agencies subject to the expungement order have confirmed that they have destroyed the records related to your case.  That is verified when the agency sends your lawyer a records destruction confirmation letter.

These agencies typically include some or all of the following:

• The Pennsylvania State Police
• The local magisterial district court
• The local police department
• The District Attorney
• The County Clerk of Courts
• The County Probation Department
• The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC)

Benefits of Expungement

There are many benefits of expunging your record including:

Searching for a lawyer to expunge criminal record.  Contact me at (215) 752-5282 for a free evaluation of your case.

Pennsylvania Summary Offense Expungement

Do you have a summary offense that you would like to remove from your record?  Visit the Pa Summary Offense Expungement Lawyer page for detailed information on the process for the expungement of summary offense in PA.

Can you get a Domestic Violence Charge Expunged?

Yes, in certain cases.  You are eligible for expungement if your domestic violence charge was dismissed, withdrawn, nolle prosed, or you were acquitted of the offenses. If you were acquitted of the domestic violence charge, your case will be automatically expunged by the court.

Many people contact me to ask: Can domestic violence be expunged.  Surprisingly, it is common for prosecutors to downgrade many domestic violence offenses due to a lack of evidence or an uncooperative witness.

A typical example occurs when the district attorney withdrawals a domestic violence misdemeanor simple assault charge in exchange for a plea to one or more summary offenses.  Defendants are required to complete probation and sometimes participate in domestic violence counseling.

Was Your Domestic Violence Simple Assault Charge Dismissed

If so, you are eligible to petition the court for immediate expungement of the withdrawn simple assault charge.  In addition, the summary charges are eligible for expungement after five years, even if you agree to plead guilty to the citations.

A domestic violence Protection from Abuse Order can be expunged from your record if it was withdrawn before a hearing, dismissed after a hearing, or if the parties agreed to extend the temporary order and the petition expired.

Finally, a simple assault domestic violence conviction can be expunged if you are granted a Governor’s Pardon.  Read more about expunging a protection order on my Pennsylvania PFA Expungement Lawyer page.

Can a Dismissed Case be Expunged

Yes, in most cases.  Under the PA expungement statute, the court can expunge most summary, misdemeanor, and felony charges.  However, the right to expungement is not mandatory.

In rare cases, the district attorney may object to the expungement of dismissed criminal charges due to their seriousness or for other policy reasons.

In these situations, the judge will make the final decision on the expungement petition after the petitioner and the prosecutor present evidence during the expungement hearing.

Searching for lawyers for expungement near me.  Fortunately, I know how to get a dismissed case off your record.  Contact me at (215) 752-5282 to get the expungement process started.

Do I Need a Lawyer to Expunge My Record

Pennsylvania law does not require that you use an attorney to clear your record.  However, the process for completing an expungement is a long and complicated one.  Also, the expungement application must be filled out in compliance with the strict requirements of the Pennsylvania Expungement statute.

Unfortunately, the court will dismiss many expungement petitions because the Defendant did not fill out the documents correctly or did not file the Petition on time.

The best attorney for expungement will be skilled and knowledgeable in all areas of Pennsylvania expungement law.  Using my skills and experience as a record expungement lawyer, I will help you navigate the complicated process of erasing your criminal history.

Expungement Lawyer

Are you worried about the consequences of having a criminal record?  You begin to search for expungement attorneys near me.  You finally decide to take the steps to have your criminal history expunged.

I am a local criminal expungement attorney who can help you with criminal record expungement at an affordable expungement lawyer cost.

My practice area includes Bucks County, Montgomery County, Delaware County, Chester County, and Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.  Phone lines are open 24 hours a day at (215) 752-5282.  Call today for a free initial consultation or fill out the confidential contact form for an immediate response.