Menu
Seal criminal charges in Pinellas/ Pasco Florida
June 4th, 2016
Are you eligible to Seal criminal charges in Florida?
Many people have been arrested yet never "charged" with a crime. (They never went to court, the charge was dropped or dismissed) They may be eligible to expunge. Or if their record has been sealed for at least 10 years, they are eligible to expunge it. Some people have been arrested and charged with a crime, but never "convicted". That means they went to court, and were either found Not Guilty, or the judge ordered a "with hold of adjudication", which means there was no "formal" conviction of guilt. Those people may be eligible to seal their criminal record.The difference between Expunging or Sealing:
To Expunge means the records of the criminal charge go away entirely. Technically, any evidence of the arrest is no longer able to be found in any background check, court records, or police department files.*** If you are asked on an application whether or not you were ever arrested or convicted of any criminal offense you may answer NO. (There are exceptions to this for certain professional licenses) To Seal means the court file, police department records, and all else will literally be "sealed" and not visible without a court order to open the file. So if you seal your criminal record it should not show up on a background check. If you are asked on a job application whether or not you were ever arrested or convicted of a crime, you may answer NO. In order to qualify for sealing you must have:- received a Withhold of Adjudication
- It must be your ONLY arrest - in any state.
- It may not be a domestic battery, or any sex related offense, or a DUI. (Unless these charges were dismissed - if so, you are probably eligible to have them expunged)
- To Expunge - the case had to be dismissed, or
- Your record must have been sealed for ten years before you apply to Expunge
Categories: Seal Expunge Records