Do you need an Expungement Attorney? In North Carolina, if you are found “Not Guilty” or if the charges against you are Dismissed, you may be eligible to have all records of the charge expunged (i.e. sealed or removed completely from public record).
A criminal record can have serious consequences for a person’s life. Even just being charged with a criminal offense can affect employment, education, and other available opportunities. However, a recent change in North Carolina law significantly expands the ability to obtain an expungement of criminal charges and convictions.
North Carolina Expungement Law
A person can now obtain unlimited expungements for cases that were dismissed or in which a person was found “Not Guilty” or “Not Responsible” for the charges as long as they have not previously been convicted of a felony. This change in the law significantly expands the ability to obtain expungements for past criminal charges and removes any time period requirements that existed under the old law.
The new changes also affect certain prior convictions (i.e. you were found “Guilty” or entered a plea of “Guilty”). Under the new law, the waiting time to apply for an expungement for a first-time non-violent felony conviction is lowered to 10 years, whereas the waiting time had previously been 15 years. The law also reduces the waiting time to apply for an expungement for a first-time nonviolent misdemeanor conviction to 5 years.
Contact an attorney at Thomas, Ferguson & Beskind, LLP to discuss your particular circumstances and to determine whether you qualify for an expungement. We will help you navigate the expungement process and put your criminal charges behind you.
You can learn more about the recent legislative changes to the expungement process at http://ncleg.net/sessions/2017/bills/senate/pdf/s445v4.pdf.
North Carolina Expungement Attorney
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