Felonies

Felonies are the most serious, and violent, crimes including arson, fraud, murder, armed robbery, etc. Before being convicted of felony, a long process requiring arraignment, pre-trial conferences, motion hearings, and finally a trial, has to be undergone. Felony sentences aren’t being given easily. Anyone convicted of a felony, undergoes a thorough trial for a serious crime and all felonies stay on your record permanently. This means employers, landlords, banks, and law enforcement officials can access all felony details leading to your conviction of. A single felony conviction can disrupt you professionally and personally.

But a felony charge need not be permanent as it can be expunged in the USA, as every state has options/ rules for people to clear their names. Set-aside procedure seals your criminal arrest data and conviction. With this legal approach, your legal record vanishes. You can then deny the conviction or arrest in the foreseeable future legally. Getting a felony expunged is inexpensive and at times, the expunging of records is free. If keen to expunge a felony record, follow these steps:

Fundamentals of Expungement

Expungement seals arrest and conviction records. A company or government agency running a background check on you, cannot access your felony records. Earlier, expunging of felony records helped people find new jobs and rebuild careers and financial security. New windows of opportunities open when arrest or conviction records are expunged. But a felony doesn’t vanish unless a strict process is followed to have it expunged. While states have banned requests for felony convictions on application, most employers can find past felonies with background checks or asking candidates about criminal records later on, in the hiring process. While being a felon may deprive you certain jobs, you may find other jobs.

Eligibility Rules for Felony Expungement

The felony expungement enables people a chance at rehabilitation and be responsible citizens. Most states’ legal systems endorse flexible ways of recognizing change in people as one single bad judgment, conviction, or arrest cannot destroy a person’s identity for life. Class C felonies can be expunged after 5 years and some Class B felonies eligible after 7 years. But offenses like marijuana possession have similar requirements and waiting periods. Three years after conviction, most misdemeanours, with some exceptions, can be expunged. Discuss your case with an expungement lawyer to accelerate the process. Class A felonies cannot be expunged due to the harsh crimes, as also violent Class B felonies and sexual crimes. Getting rid of a felony record is by expunging it, to erase records. Some states allow youthful offenders to expunge records, while others require rehabilitation proof.

Felonies and Employment

Employers in various states use felony background information variably. Thirteen states have laws which ban criminal asking about convictions on job applications. Employers use background checks, but ask about convictions much later in the hiring process. The Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) endorsed removing questions about convictions from job applications as part of best hiring practices.

Conclusion

Expunging a legal record is not illegal and isn’t applicable to all felony cases. Specific requirements and conditions only can expunge a felony record. Before opting to expunge legal records, evaluate the financial costs. If you want to reduce the costs, seek an experienced lawyer about clearing the charges.