Have you ever been convicted of a crime, and now years later these convictions keep coming up in background checks? Are you past records impeding your ability to maintain new employment opportunities?
Record Sealing may be the services that you are searching for. The process to record sealing is different if the conviction occurred while you were a minor or an adult above the age of 18. If you were a juvenile at the time of the offense the process would be called a juvenile expungement. If the crime occurred when you were above the age of 18, this process is called record sealing.
Once you are convicted of a crime the offense will be listed on your record and although not all crimes qualify for record sealing, our attorneys will be able to see if your case qualifies. In the State of Colorado some examples of criminal convictions that may be eligible for sealing include, class 2, 3 or drug misdemeanors and petty offenses, and drug petty offenses. These are only some of the potentially eligible criminal convictions.
Record sealing allows the information surrounding the qualifying case to be concealed from public view. In order for any eligible criminal conviction to be sealed the sufficient time must have elapsed, all fines must be paid, and any other court order mandates included in sentencing must be completed prior to beginning the record sealing process. Once those are completed proceedings can begin to complete the sealing of qualifying criminal conviction
Some benefits to sealing your record could include more job opportunities or safer housing. After sealing, when future potential employers run a background check (not including military and certain government entities), record of the qualifying case would no longer be visible. This potentially increases your odds of obtaining a more suitable job. Another benefit of sealing could include finding safe housing. Once large apartment complexes or homeowners run background checks, they may become aware of your past criminal history. Awareness of past criminal history may lead to your housing application being denied. That being said, record sealing would keep your criminal history hidden from these establishments.
However, there are some things to keep in mind when choosing to seal your record. Record sealing does not guarantee your firearm rights are restored. Nor does sealing of one criminal conviction mean that all criminal convictions in your name will be hidden or concealed from public view, as some crimes do not meet the requirements for record sealing. In certain cases, military entities may still be able to access your criminal record even if sealed. It is important that you discuss your interest in military affiliation with an attorney upon a consultation, so they can further explain this matter to you.
If you would like to see if your case meets the requirements for record sealing it is important that you speak to an attorney regarding the specifics of your case. At the Law Office of Clifton Black, our dedicated team can assist you in sealing your criminal record or juvenile expungement process. For a free consultation call 719-328-1616.