Getting Away from a Felony: Expunge Your Criminal Record
Posted: Sunday, April 04, 2010
by Nathan Moore
Moore Trademarks
Felony convictions and certain misdemeanors can have an unfortunate lifelong effect on your professional and personal future. Until it is too late, many individuals do not realize the real negative impact a criminal conviction can have on their job and career prospects.
States differ in the way they handle felony convictions. In the harsher jurisdictions, like Alabama, the only individuals eligible to expunge their record are those who have charges against them dismissed or retired. In contrast, in a state like California, there is a myriad of ways that one can address their criminal record. In the gray of the expungement spectrum are states like Virginia or Tennessee that allowed for judicial diversion of certain first time offenses.
Nowadays, with the job market so tight, it is imperative that you do all you can to minimize the impact of your criminal record. The economy is sluggish at best, and as long as the job market remains as tight as it currently has been, even a minor criminal record can mean the real difference between an employee and earning a living and continued unemployement.
In fact, even an accusation of criminal conduct can be detrimental to a job application. In practically every instance, a charge that has been dismissed can ultimately be sealed or expunged. In some environments, an accusation of illegal conduct can be as detrimental as an actual conviction. Despite the best intentions of human nature, the beyond reasonable doubt standard is largely a legal concept. Everyday experience works more pragmatically on a "probably" standard. As such, it is in your best interest to erase every bit of public evidence relating your engagement with the criminal justice process.
The next step is finding competent legal counsel to assist you in addressing your record. The best thing to do is discuss your options with a licensed attorney - myriad "expungement services" exist on the web that will gladly take your hard-earned money without any assurances whatsoever as to whether your record can actually be expunged. The difference is that a licensed lawyer has an ethical obligation to be up front with you about the state of the law, and is much less likely to take your payment without some assurances about what is a likely result. Regardless, delay works against you as laws often change.
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Nathan Moore is a criminal defense and expungement lawyer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He assists individuals daily wanting to expunge their criminal records. This is especially the case if you have a felony. Expunge your record today by contacting Mr. Moore though his website or call him directly at 615.346.2213.
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