What Is Expungement?

When you are convicted of a crime, the conviction goes onto your record and you are given a punishment to repay your debt to society. But even after you have served that sentence, the conviction can stay on your record, making it harder for you to get jobs, higher education, or sometimes even bank loans. A crime you committed over a decade ago can continue to haunt you, preventing you from moving forward with life.

Legal Expungement

This is where legal expungement comes in. Expungement is a type of lawsuit which seeks to seal or destroy the records of a previous court case. In layman's terms, it will take a conviction off your record so that it will be legally removed from the public eye. In many jurisdictions, the conviction does not disappear completely, but it will be stricken from general review.

Things that can affect your eligibility for expungement include:

• If you have had further incidents since the conviction which you are attempting to expunge. Obviously, if you seem to be a frequent criminal, the court will be unlikely to expunge your records.
• The number of prior incidents
• The severity of the conviction or any other previous incidents. If you committed a violent crime, you are less likely to have the conviction expunged.
• Whether or not you fulfilled the terms of your sentence. If you paid back your debt to society in good faith, you will be more likely to have your records expunged.

In Rhode Island, a first offender is allowed to file for the expungement of a conviction record by filing with the Attorney General and the police department, although for repeat offenders it can become more complicated.

Contact Us

If you or someone you love has been convicted of a crime and wish to have it expunged from the record, contact Rhode Island expungement attorney James Powderly by calling 401-662-9006.