Tag Archives: Indiana’s Second Chance Law

How to Get a Better Job as a Past Offender in Indiana

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For most things in the life, the past is the past, and you should move on from it. After all, some say holding onto shame or grudges is like poison for your mind. But when it comes to criminal records, this ideology is not as simple. Criminal history is a permanent record that follows you all throughout your life. Even juvenile records are permanent. As a past offender in Indiana, you likely already know that your career opportunities are limited, and your criminal history has held you back from achieving your professional goals or obtaining a higher income. Well, the good news is that there might be a way for you to clean up your criminal history, and finally get a better job for your future and your family. We are talking about criminal record expungement, also known as Indiana’s 2nd Chance law.

Continue below to learn about Indiana’s Second Chance Law, and how it can help you improve your quality of life, professionally and beyond.

Indianapolis, Indiana Criminal Record Expungement Attorney 317-636-7514
Indianapolis, Indiana Criminal Record Expungement Attorney 317-636-7514

Indiana’s Second Chance Law

Here in Indiana, July 11th, 2014 was an important day for all Hoosiers who had criminal arrests and convictions on their permanent records. That is because Indiana legislature passed the Second Chance Law, which allows those who qualify to seal or remove criminal arrests and convictions from their criminal records. Upon approval, a person’s conviction or arrest is no longer accessible by the general public ever again, including employers.

How a Cleaner Record Can Get You a Better Job

Did you know that virtually 96% of all Indiana employers perform at least one type of background check? In fact, most employers use multiple types of background checks to educate themselves about their potential hire, including credit history scans, education verification, past employment verification, reference checks, social security trace, drug tests, sex offender registry checks, driving record scans, and nowadays, social media and internet checks.

But of all the possible background checks and scans employers can choose from to perform on potential hires, a criminal history check is always one of them. If you are equally qualified with another possible hire, but your criminal record shows an arrest or conviction in your past and the other hire has a clean record, you will likely be passed up on the job. In other cases, some corporate business models will not allow an employer to hire someone with a criminal record, even if they wanted to.

If your criminal record in Indiana were wiped clean of your past convictions and/or arrests, you could experience a whole other set of doors opening up for you in terms of a new career or better-paying job position. You can open yourself up to more promotions, professional licenses, and much more. A cleaner record will most certainly place you in front of a long list of applicants for any job you interview for.

Where to Get Help With Your Indiana Criminal Record Expungement Petition

You cannot just download an application and request that your criminal record is sealed or expunged. The criminal record expungement petitioning process is very serious and complex, so it requires the assistance of a well-versed Indiana criminal defense lawyer. Just one filling error, such as a missed spelled word, can get your petition denied. And the rule is, you can only apply once in your lifetime. So, you do not want to mess up your application, nor miss an important filing deadline. It is not free to expunge criminal records in Indiana, so be prepared to pay for filing and court fees, as well as lawyer fees.

Indianapolis Indiana Criminal Record Expungement as Low as $850

Call our Indianapolis expungement lawyers at 317-636-7514 if you have a criminal record in Indiana that you would like to clean up this year. Our law firm is well-versed in the Indiana criminal record expungement laws, and charges as low as $850 for our services. Whether you are looking to seal or expunge a criminal record, we are the criminal lawyers to trust for a hassle-free petitioning process. Contact us to get started, and do so soon, before this unpopular law is repealed!

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

What Can an Expungement Lawyer Do For Me?

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In order to petition for criminal record expungement, you will need the assistance of a skilled criminal defense lawyer. Continue reading to learn how an attorney can better guarantee your chances at being granted an expunged criminal record.

Criminal Record Expungement Attorney 317-636-7514

Criminal Record Expungement Attorney 317-636-7514

Indiana’s Second Chance Law

The new Indiana criminal record expungement law officially took effect on July 1st of 2013. Often referred to as “Indiana’s Second Chance law”, it allows people to petition for misdemeanors and Class D Felonies to be expunged or restricted from their personal records; thus giving past offenders a “second chance” at having a quality life. After expungement, the general public, including employers, would not be able to see criminal histories of potential employees by running standard background checks.

A Fair Warning

This new law has the potential to change lives for people who have had trouble gaining or retaining employment due to their criminal backgrounds. But you better be sure your paperwork is correct, filed on time, and contains all the essential requirements and documents needed to move your case along. One missed deadline or misspelled word can have a person’s petition denied, which is scary considering you can only file for Indiana’s Second Chance law once in your lifetime. This is why you need a criminal defense lawyer to help you through the process.

What a Lawyer Will Do:

⚖ Determine Eligibility

Learning your eligibility for expungement can be quite complex to anyone untrained in law jargon. Furthermore, there are numerous factors that regulate who is qualified to have their criminal record expunged in Indiana. One such prerequisite for expungement eligibility is the type of conviction or charge a person was sentenced with, while another is time. Depending on the criminal charge, there are parameters on how many years a person must wait to expunge their record. A skilled criminal defense lawyer will be able to accurately determine your eligibility for expungement.

⚖ File All Paperwork

A person has one opportunity to file for criminal record expungement. One filing misstep can cost them that chance. A licensed attorney that is well-versed in the new Indiana expungement laws can process all the necessary documents and paperwork needed to file for expungement. They can be sure you are informed, set, and ready for all mandatory court hearings, if any, and all other obligations involved in the process. With a lawyer, you can rest assure that the filing and application process is carried out perfectly so that you have the highest chance of having your records sealed from the public.

⚖ Ensure Timeline Efficiency

Not only will a licensed criminal defense lawyer ensure that your paperwork filings are correct and on time, they will ensure the timeline for which your case is adjudicated runs smoothly and within a convenient time frame. As mentioned, no one knows if or when this law might be repealed. So if you try to petition on your own, it could take months to acquire the necessary paperwork from various sources, which can put you at risk of running out of time before the law goes away.

A Criminal Record Expungement Lawyer You Can Trust

David E. Lewis, Attorney at Law 317-636-7514

David E. Lewis, Attorney at Law 317-636-7514

Call Attorney David E. Lewis at 317-636-7514 to learn your eligibility for criminal record expungement in Indiana. We are eager to help you get the fresh start in life that you deserve! Our services start as low as $850, so you can afford to clean up your record just as much as the next guy. Call 317-636-7514 to schedule a consultation, today.

What is the Expungement Process for a Criminal Charge?

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Whether just an arrest or an actual conviction, a criminal charge can have adverse, on-going effects for minors and adults alike. These difficult, downward consequences can diminish a person’s quality of life in many ways, both personally and professionally. A delinquent criminal record can make it almost impossible to get approved for rental housing, home and business loans, and promotions or job opportunities.

Even if a person is hard-working, trustworthy, and ambitious, they can be held back from their true potential, personally and professionally, with a criminal record. Fortunately, many states have adopted new laws surrounding criminal record expungement, which allows certain individuals to seal or destroy their arrest and criminal records. This gives them back the opportunity to have a home, job, and reputation they can be proud of. Continue reading to learn the process for expunging a criminal charge, and how to get started as soon as today.

Expunging a Criminal Charge

There are three phases to the criminal charge expungement process: 1) Hiring a lawyer, 2) Filing a petition, and 3) Judicial review. The initial, and most important, step is to hire a criminal defense lawyer who specializes in expungement services. You need the assistance of a licensed attorney because the procedures and requirements for filing a motion for expungement are highly complex. Just one mistake, whether a misspelled name or missing document, can cost a person their only chance to apply for criminal record expungement. This is because the law only allows a person to file once in their lifetime, no matter what the circumstances. A qualified criminal defense lawyer can navigate this process for you to ensure everything is done correctly.

The second phase to the criminal expungement process is to file a petition in the county, or counties, where your convictions and arrests took place. If you have multiple arrests or convictions, they can be filed as one petition so long as they are completed within a one year window. This phase should be handled by your legal representative, during which they will file the necessary petitions and provide the necessary documentation in each county of your arrests and convictions, all in due time. During this phase, you will be required to pay a court filing fee for a petition for expungement, which generally costs between $140 and $170 in most Indiana courts. It is possible for this fee to be waived in some cases. If you are petitioning to expunge an arrest that never led to a conviction, there is no filing fee.

The third phase of the criminal expungement process is the judicial review stage. This is when the courts will either grant or deny a person’s petition for expungement. If denied, either from court discretion or procedural errors, you must wait three years before filing again, and cannot file for the same criminal convictions as before. If granted expungement, all previously-lost civil rights and privileges are restored. A person can legally state that they were never convicted of such crime on job applications, mortgage loans, tenant applications, and more.

Criminal Expungement Services

Call 317-636-7514 for criminal record expungement services in Indianapolis, Indiana. We are well-versed in Indiana’s Second Chance Law, and can help you seal or expunge criminal records in all Indiana counties. Our services are economically-priced, and start as low as $850! Call 317-636-7514 to schedule a no-risk consultation for criminal record expungement in Indianapolis, IN today.