Wayne County Expungement Lawyer

Those convicted of a crime in Wayne County can face stiff legal penalties, including jail time, probation, and fines. On top of these legal consequences, those convicted of a crime also face limited professional opportunities due to their criminal record. Employers often deny those with a criminal record a job, regardless of whether the conviction was related to the work.

In many cases, those with a criminal record can also be denied a professional license simply because they were previously convicted of a crime. Students with conviction records could face limited scholarships when applying for college. Wayne County landlords may even deny a rental application for the same reason.

If you have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, you understand how much your conviction can affect your personal and professional life. You could be eligible for expungement, which would clear your criminal record. To learn more about the expungement process, speak with a distinguished criminal attorney about your case. A Wayne County expungement lawyer can help you assess the strengths and weaknesses of your case before proceeding.

Michigan residents with a criminal conviction record face numerous negative effects, both personally and professionally. Wayne County expungement lawyers know a criminal conviction can limit someone’s employment, educational, housing, and financial opportunities.

Legal consequences of a conviction are finite but the social consequences someone suffers from the same conviction can last for the rest of their life. This is why state law provides a way for residents to seek expungement. Legally speaking, an expungement is the equivalent of a record erasure.

Expunged convictions are set aside, meaning they are removed from the person’s record. Accordingly, for all intents and purposes, thereafter the conviction does not exist. When someone’s conviction is expunged, they can truthfully state in job, rental, and financial applications that they have not been convicted of a crime. Expungement can give someone with a criminal record a new chance to move forward with their life.

The expungement process in Michigan is complex. Not everyone with a criminal record will qualify for expungement. Recent changes to the state law have expanded who is eligible for expungement, but there are still limitations. The application for expungement also has many requirements that must be met before they are eligible for an expungement.

One of the most important requirements is the timeframe of when someone can apply for expungement. In Michigan, those seeking expungement must wait five years after the fulfilling their full sentence before submitting their application. Even if an applicant is no longer incarcerated, they must still complete all terms of their parole or probation, if that is part of their sentence, before they can start the expungement process.

Even though a recent change in law has allowed more people to qualify for expungement, there are still limitations on who is eligible. The most important criteria for eligibility is the type of conviction the applicant wants to expunge. Applicants can only seek expungement for one felony conviction and no more than two misdemeanors.

Those with more than one felony and more than two misdemeanor convictions may not qualify for expungement. A Wayne County expungement lawyer can help those considering this process determine whether they qualify.