Pursuing New Expungement Possibilities for Individuals Throughout Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, an "expungement" is a court-ordered process by which criminal history and records are to deleted or removed from public dissemination. Expungement is available only in certain situations. Certainly, a person acquitted of a crime can petition for expungement. Likewise, dismissal or withdrawal of charges, can allow to ask the court to order an expungement.
Generally, if a case has been concluded in favor of the accused and there was no conviction on the charge, an expungement can be requested. Successful completion of a pretrial diversion program such as ARD also allows for an expungement to be requested. Likewise, conditional guilty pleas such as probation without verdict under the Drug and Cosmetic Act will permit an expungement when completed. If a person has been convicted, an expungement is ordinarily not possible (there are exceptions for persons who are at least 70 years old and met certain conditions). For most convictions the only option that was available was seeking a pardon.
Historically, this meant expungements were not possible for most convictions, even for summary offenses such as disorderly conduct, public intoxication and retail theft. However, relatively recent changes to the law in Pennsylvania allow for expungement of summary offense convictions in certain situations. This ability to clear a record of a conviction for an summary offense such as retail theft can be a tremendous benefit to an individual seeking employment or undergoing a background search.
At the western Pennsylvania law firm of Joyce & Bittner, in Pittsburgh, our criminal defense lawyers have substantial experience working with expungement of arrest records including the new expungement procedures. We understand what you must do to meet the minimum requirements and we can assist in an expungement request to help erase embarrassing criminal history information from your background.
For a free consultation, call 412-567-1229 or toll free at 866-471-9566 or contact our Pennsylvania expungement attorneys online today to learn more.
Pursuing Expungement So You Can Move Forward in Life
At our firm, we believe it is important for you to have a second chance. As a criminal record can negatively impact your ability to find quality housing and employment, we will fight hard to convince the criminal justice system that it is time to clear your record. We can pursue an expungement in the following situations:
- Criminal charges: If you were charged with any criminal offense and were not convicted, you will have a criminal record. Our criminal record expungement lawyers can seek to have those criminal charges removed from your record.
- Summary offenses: If you have been convicted of a summary violation such as retail theft, loitering, disorderly conduct, underage drinking, public intoxication or other summary charges, you may be eligible for an expungement of that conviction after five years. We will review your record fully to ensure you are able to take advantage of this opportunity at the right time.
- Juvenile offenses: Expungement is available based on several criteria for individuals with juvenile delinquency records. Bring your record to us to determine if there is a way to clear your juvenile record.
Contact Our Pittsburgh Criminal Expungement Attorneys Today
To determine if you are eligible for an expungement, contact our Pittsburgh expungement lawyers. At Joyce & Bittner, we offer free initial consultations to new clients.
