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.