A criminal record can do real damage to your employment prospects, and it can even affect every aspect of your life negatively in many cases. That’s why you should do everything you can to avoid a criminal record to begin with. In some cases, though, your arrest can be “erased” from the view of the public, making it as though you never were arrested to being with.
When a criminal record is sealed (or expunged), it is as though the arrest never occurred. Legally, you can check “no” on any question asking about a criminal record. Also, any check of your criminal record will come back clean. The public will have no access to the files related to your arrest or court case. Only certain law enforcement agencies can ever access the files, and only in certain situations. This means that all of the negative influences of a criminal record should go away, leaving you with a clean slate.
Who Is Eligible to Have Their Criminal Record Sealed in Cincinnati?
Because of the innumerable benefits of having your record expunged or sealed, anyone in the city who is eligible should contact a Cincinnati expungement lawyer right away to begin the process. But who exactly is eligible?
In Ohio, any person who has been charged with a crime that was ultimately dismissed or adjudicated as “not guilty” has the right to have that record sealed from the public. Even if your case was determined to be guilty or never formally sentenced, though, you may be able to still have your record expunged if you meet the following requirements:
- Your crime did not have a mandatory sentence to be served. (This refers to the law. In some cases, you can still have your record sealed after serving prison time, if the crime does not always mandate it).
- The crime was not a sexual offense and did not involve a minor.
- You have no current criminal charges pending against you.
- You do not have a history of criminal offenses.
If all of these are true, then you may qualify to have your record sealed, but there are some other requirements that have to be met that can be a bit tricky to understand. An Ohio expungement attorney can help you determine if your specific case should be eligible for certain.
If your crime qualifies for a sealed record or an expungement, you can begin the process one year after the final resolution of misdemeanor. You are able to start the process three years after the final resolution of a felony. Usually, the final resolution means after any court-ordered jail time, parole, probation or community service have been completed and all fines and court fees have been paid.
If you think that you have any chance of getting our record sealed, it is worth discussing your options with an attorney right away. Call the experienced Cincinnati expungement lawyers at Luftman, Heck & Associates at (513) 338-1890 today for a free consultation on your case. Find out how you may be able to get a second chance at a clean slate.
