Anne Arundel County Expungement Lawyer
Today, background checks by prospective employers, landlords, and educational institutions are extremely common. Consequently, having a significant record of criminal charges or convictions can make it extremely difficult for you to find a job, find a place to live, or attend school at the college or university of your choosing.
Any time you are arrested, found guilty, or convicted of a crime in Anne Arundel County, there will be a notation on your criminal record. If you are able to satisfy certain requirements, however, you might be eligible to pursue an expungement of your criminal record.
An expunged criminal record is not typically viewable by members of the general public, via an online search.
An experienced Anne Arundel County expungement lawyer could help you pursue a full or partial expungement of your criminal record and advocate for your interests in court. Specifically, a lawyer could explain to the hearing judge why you deserve to have your criminal record expunged under a certain set of circumstances.
Common Offenses Subject to Expungement
There are several criminal offenses that are subject to expungement in Anne Arundel County. Those offenses include the following:
- Drinking in public — where a person consumes an alcoholic beverage, such as beer, wine, or liquor in a public place
- Public urination — where a person urinates in a public place; often incurred with a drinking in public charge
- Public transportation violations — usually where a customer litters, spits, or smokes while they are on board a public transportation vehicle, such as a bus, metro car, or light rail car
An Anne Arundel County expungement attorney could assist with pursuing an expungement for any of these offenses, assuming the accused did not sustain a conviction for the offense in question.
Steps to Take when Pursuing a Criminal Records Expungement
The Maryland Annotated Code sets forth the requirements that an individual must satisfy to obtain a criminal records expungement in Anne Arundel County. First of all, not all criminal records are eligible for expungement. Although some criminal records are not eligible for full expungement, however, they may be eligible for partial expungement.
A defendant might be eligible for a criminal records expungement if the police previously detained, arrested, or confined them but did not charge them with a crime. A defendant who was previously convicted of a transportation or nuisance crime could also request that the court expunge their record.
The same is true if the defendant sustained only one prior criminal conviction which did not constitute a crime of violence – or if the defendant’s criminal record existed before July 1, 1975.
Finally, a criminal defendant could be eligible for a records expungement if the state entered a nolle prosequi (i.e. a “nolle prossed” charge), if the court placed the defendant’s case on the stet docket (i.e. pending completion of a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program), or if the defendant obtained an acquittal for the charge.
Talk to an Anne Arundel County Expungement Attorney Today
If you are interested in pursuing an expungement or your criminal record, you want an experienced Anne Arundel County expungement lawyer on your side who regularly handles these matters in court.
A lawyer can be your advocate in the courtroom and will do everything possible to help you pursue and obtain a records expungement in your case.