We all make mistakes and no one is without faults. We know this to be true and yet the justice system seeks to penalize those who are caught making a mistake in order to teach a lesson and minimize future mistakes. But sometimes, part of the challenge of learning a lesson is that it doesn’t end there and you aren’t given a clean slate to begin again. Having a criminal conviction or even an arrest on your record can be extremely detrimental to your future, and if you think about it, it is easier to do what’s right when things are going well than it is when it feels like the world is out to get you.
This is why it is so important to pursue an expungement if the option is available to you. Once an expungement is granted, you have, in almost all cases, eliminated any record of the arrest or criminal charge from your record.
If you are trying to get into college, applying for a loan or interviewing for a job, you don’t have to inform anyone of the criminal history related to an expunged record. For the most part, law enforcement and courts can see the record but not most civilian entities or people running background searches.
If you are concerned about the effects of a criminal arrest or conviction, a Florida criminal defense attorney should be able to help you determine if you are a candidate. We all make mistakes. It is an unfortunate injustice that those mistakes can ruin attempts to set things right for so many.
