Arrests, charges and convictions can impact people’s lives in many ways. This includes through showing up on one’s record. What is on a person’s public criminal record can have many implications. For one, it can have employment impacts, as criminal records are among the things employers often look at when considering job candidates.
It is important to note that, in some instances, there may be actions individuals in Florida can take to remove arrests, charges and convictions on their record from the public eye. They might be able to get a record sealed or expunged.
Now, sealing and expungement are not interchangeable terms. They are two different things here in Florida. We’ll now go over what each of these terms means in the state.
Record sealing
When a record is sealed in the state, access to it gets highly restricted. While this removes it from public access, the record remains in existence. Also, it remains accessible to certain government and related entities.
Record expungement
Expunging a record, on the other hand, involves the removal and destruction of a record, not just the limiting of access to it.
Understanding one’s options when it comes to one’s criminal record
What options related to record sealing or expungement a person could have depends on his or her circumstances. This includes the nature of his or her criminal record. Skilled attorneys can advise individuals looking into the possibility of having their record sealed or expunged on what particular options could be available given the specifics of their situation.
