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Pennsylvania
Expungement
Expungement in Pennsylvania and How It Can Help You
When a person
is arrested in Pennsylvania, that arrest record is transmitted to various
law enforcement agencies. The local police, county police, state police
and federal government all share information about the arrest and conviction.
Once the record is established, it does not go away.
As a result,
people who have made one or two mistakes in life, who are now on track
to a better future, are still haunted by the ghosts of the past, whenever
a criminal background check is performed. Expungement is the solution
for these people.
Expungement
is defined as "the act of physically destroying information - including
criminal records - in files, computers or other depositories". It
is also describes as "The process by which record of a criminal conviction
is destroyed or sealed after expiration of time" (Black's Law Dictionary).
In Pennsylvania
you can seek expungement of your record after completing a probationary
period. In some cases, you can seek expungement right away, instead of
waiting for 30 days after completing the probationary period.
Benefits
of Expungement.
In today's
highly competitive job market, you need to look your best when seeking
employment. Since employers routinely conduct background checks on candidates,
it makes sense to have a completely clean record. Expungement removes
any traces of a criminal background that an employer would be able to
find. When hiring managers make their decisions, a candidate with a clean
background will have a competitive edge.
How Expungement
Works in Pennsylvania.
In Pennsylvania,
the client contacts an attorney and hires him to handle the expungement.
The attorney gathers information from the client and then files a motion
with the court. The court grants an expungement order.
The attorney
then presents this expungement order to each of the agencies having a
record of the arrest. The order commands the agency to expunge the criminal
record - it is deleted and / or destroyed. The agency then sends confirmation
to the attorney that the expungement has been completed.
Once all
the agencies have checked in with the attorney, he then notifies the client
that the expungement process is complete. The client's record is now clean.
There are
two places where the record of the arrest may still be found - under seal,
in the Office of the District Attorney - where it remains confidential,
and, in some cases, there is a record with the Department of Motor Vehicles
(pertaining to certain motor vehicle violations). Department of Motor
Vehicle records can be expunged, but the process takes a long time.
How Long
Expungement Takes in Pennsylvania.
Typically,
three to four months are needed for all agencies to complete the expungement
and check back in with the attorney.
How Much
Does Expungement Cost in Pennsylvania.
Family Lawyer
Service handles all expungement matters for one flat fee - so that the
client knows how much it will cost, no matter how much time the attorney
spends on the matter. For more details, call Family Lawyer Service at
(610) 724-3382.
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