Record Sealing in Orange County
 Sealing means that your criminal records held by the law enforcement agency, courts, prosecutor and the probation department will be sealed and treated as if they did not exist at all. Even if the concerned agencies are questioned about these records, the law mandates them to answer that they have no record of the matter.
A lot of people don't realize that even if your case was dismissed or if you were found not guilty, your arrest record and all court filings relating to your case still exist and they are all public records. No criminal record gets automatically sealed or disappears with time. A record gets sealed or expunged only when a judge specifically orders it.
It is very likely to resurface every time there is a background check when you apply for a job, to get into school, housing, special licenses or security clearances. It could even haunt your personal relationships. At Coffey & Coffey, our Orange County expungement attorneys can help you get your record expunged or sealed if you qualify for it.
This is especially true of juvenile records. The records, although from your distant past, can cast a shadow on your present and future. Juvenile records can resurface as part of your criminal history. It can jeopardize your career, cause you embarrassment and come back and adversely affect you in ways you never thought possible.
Do You Qualify?
You may receive and expungement and your records may be sealed under California law:
- If You Have Successfully Completed Your Sentence and Don't Have Pending Charges
- There is No Pending Civil Suit Stemming from the Crime
- You did not Serve Time at the California Youth Authority
Why Seal Your Past Criminal Records
There are many advantages to getting an expungement. You will be free to apply for a job. In most cases, you will be able to tell your employer that you were not convicted of a crime. You may even become eligible to apply for professional licenses. In most cases, you will be relieved of offender registration. It will become impossible for a prosecutor to enhance a future charge. Your barriers to attaining immigration status will be gone. And finally, you can walk with your head held high and begin life anew with the knowledge that your past is behind you.
If your would like to get your past records and related documents sealed, call Coffey & Coffey to talk to one of our skilled Orange County record sealing lawyers about whether you qualify for a request to seal or expunge your criminal record. One call to us may give you peace for an entire lifetime.
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