Expunging Damaging Information From Your Court Records
If you have ever had any kind of brush with the law — if you were arrested, charged, indicted, tried — these events appear on your criminal record. It doesn’t matter if the charges were dismissed, if it was all a case of mistaken identity, or you were found not guilty. Your record is there for anyone to see — schools, employers, neighbors. That will cause you problems.
Expungement is the way Minnesotans can seal their court records so that embarrassing and damaging information no longer appears. James McGeeney of the Rochester firm of Doda McGeeney is skilled in expunging and sealing these records.
Not all records can be expunged, but many can, including records relating to controlled substances and offenses by juveniles prosecuted as adults. Under Minnesota’s Second Chance Law, even convictions may sometimes be expunged. And the expungement can occur in multiple government agencies, including the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Department of Human Services.
Making Records Of Your Arrest Go Away
Your record does not literally disappear. Law enforcement officials can still access your full record, under various circumstances. But you can lawfully declare on job applications and elsewhere that you have not been convicted of a crime.
Jim McGeeney will meet with you and walk you through the documentation necessary to have your records sealed. After 60 days, the court may schedule a hearing to consider your request. With a capable and experienced lawyer at your side, your prospects for expungement are quite good.
If you receive a stay of adjudication or if you successfully complete the terms of a diversion program, you may request expungement after waiting one year — provided you have not been charged with another crime in the meantime.
The expungement process can be complex. Call expungement attorney Jim McGeeney for a no-charge, no-obligation first consultation. He can evaluate your chances for expungement and lay out a plan to clear your record. Call 507-218-2399 or email him using this form.