Felony Records That Are Eligible For Expungement

Having a federal level record on your criminal history report is unconducive to having a good quality of life. Felony records hold individuals back in almost every important element of life, including dating, socializing, career, school, professional licensing, and even self-esteem. Fortunately, Indiana has passed a law that allows eligible petitioners to seal or expunge past criminal records, including certain felonies.

Continue reading to learn which felony records qualify for criminal expungement and which felonies do not, plus how to get started on your expungement petition near you.

Felony Criminal Record Expungement Indiana 317-636-7514
Felony Criminal Record Expungement Indiana 317-636-7514

Felony Record Expungement Basics

One of the fundamentals for qualifying for criminal record expungement is time. A certain, specified amount of time must pass before a person becomes eligible to petition for expungement or record sealing. In addition to time, the offense must meet certain requirements. For felonies, the required waiting period is 8 years.

Felony Expungement and Sealing Qualifications

Below is a breakdown of eligible and ineligible felonies for criminal record expungement. Use this guide to gauge your eligibility, then contact a seasoned Indianapolis criminal defense attorney who specializes in appeals and expungements for personalized advice on how to further verify your eligibility and get started on your official petition. Being as though the criminal record expungement law is a very unpopular one among state legislators, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity soon because it might not be around much longer!

Felony Records That Can Be Expunged

Level 6 felonies are the least serious of federal charges and convictions. So long as your level 6 felony did not involve serious bodily injury to another, it likely qualifies for criminal record sealing, but not expungement. Record sealing involves restricting your criminal records from public access, while expungement takes them away altogether, allowing granted individuals to rightfully deny they have ever been convicted. Any felony records outside of these conditions might be eligible for expungement or record sealing with the written consent of a prosecutor.

Felonies That Cannot Be Expunged

There are many kinds of felonies that do not qualify for criminal record expungement or sealing. These include felonies that resulted in serious bodily injury to others, plus certain violent felony offenses, such as sex crimes, hate crimes, homicides, kidnapping, sex trafficking, and official misconduct of politicians.

Are you ready to clean your slate and be free of your felony record? Contact us at 317-636-7514 to schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced expungement lawyer in Indianapolis. Our Indiana criminal expungement services start as low as $850!

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Can You Expunge Federal Convictions?

Criminal record expungement allows those who qualify to legally have their past criminal convictions destroyed and made never available to the general public again. The only party that retains access of an individual’s expunged records is the Department of Justice, for evidence and reference purposes. Many question however, if federal convictions can also be expunged. The quick answer is, “yes, but it depends.”

Dismissed By the Court

To expunge a federal record, a court must dismiss the conviction. In order to begin, a petition for expungement must be filed with the Attorney General’s Office. Generally, and mostly because of the complexities involved, most defendants hire a criminal defense attorney to accurately facilitate the petition. Something as small as a miss-spelled name or missing document can be cause for disqualification. An experience lawyer knows how to execute a petition for expungement, flawlessly.

In order to qualify for federal record expungement, certain prerequisites must be met by the applicant. If none of the requirements are met, a defendant is denied expungement. Below are the list of perquisites to qualify for federal record expungement.

Federal Expungement may be possible if…

• At Least 3-5 Years Has Passed Since the Federal Conviction
• The Defendant Never Received a Civil Penalty for the Crime
• All Penalties for the Crime Have Been Served
• The Defendant Has No State or Federal Convictions for Controlled Substances
• The Defendant Agrees to a Drug Screen and Tests Negative
• The Defendant Cooperates With All Attorney General Conditions
• The Defendant Was Convicted Based on a Law that was Later Found to Be Unconstitutional
• A Judge Decides the Conviction was a result of Government Misconduct

Once a federal record is expunged, all official records and references of a conviction is erased, with the exception of the Department of Justice. If you were charged with a felony offense in the past, you may be eligible to have it expunged today.

Expungement in Indiana

Call 317-636-7514 to speak with a licensed criminal defense lawyer about expunging felony records in Indiana. We can help determine your eligibility and process your application for expungement. Whether arrested for state or federal charges, and convicted or not, you may qualify for criminal record expungement in Indiana! Call our office at 317-636-7514 to learn more about expunging criminal records, today.