Release of Expunged Records

If you've been convicted of a non-felony crime, expungement can be a way to clear your record and return to a more normal life. Through expungement, first-time misdemeanor offenders are able to remove the barriers put up by a criminal record that can keep many jobs out of reach. One misconception about expungement, however, is that the records are deleted forever.

Although expungement effectively removes the records, there are rare circumstances where they can be taken back out. If you receive another criminal conviction, for example, the judge might have access to the records. Whether or not they will become an issue depends very much on the circumstances. The most important thing to remember, however, is that those records are still on file somewhere.

Fortunately, for people who have not been convicted of a second offense, this is very unlikely to be an issue. The only other circumstances under which expunged records can be taken out is when applying to “high risk” occupations like law enforcement. In cases like these, a criminal record can become an issue. Again, the extent to which this is a problem varies from case to case.

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Despite the few circumstances under which expunged records can become relevant again, expunged records are always better than standing ones. By expunging a conviction from your record, you can make many things, such as finding a job, substantially easier. Rhode Island expungement lawyer James Powderly can help you. To learn more about what we can do for you, contact us any time at 401-662-9006.