EXPUNGEMENT INFORMATION

Do you know what an expungement proceeding is? In the common law legal system, an expungement proceeding is a type of lawsuit in which a first-time offender of a prior criminal conviction seeks that the records of that earlier process be sealed, thereby making the records unavailable through the state or Federal repositories and background checks.

Do you have a criminal record that is preventing you from finding a job? Expungement is the key to removing a mistake from the past.  The Law Offices of Edward Johnson can help! We have helped numerous clients remove a mistake from their pasts in order to move forward in their lives. Whether it is expunging a conviction of retail theft or other crimes, we can help remove it from your record. We offer 3 different expungement packages tailored to your needs.

Call now at 708-606-4386 for a consultation on whether your conviction is expugnable.

ADDITIONAL EXPUNGEMENT INFORMATION*

“Upon arrest, a suspect’s fingerprints are taken by police and submitted to the Illinois State Police. These fingerprints create a means to positively identify an individual and connect any subsequent arrests to that person. Information on any further action on that arrest by the court, such as a finding of guilty or not guilty, is also sent to Illinois State Police. A fingerprint-based criminal record remains in the state police database, even if the case was dismissed, supervision was ordered, or there was an acquittal.

Illinois law permits only information on a conviction, a final judgment of guilt by the court, to be disseminated to the public. Criminal justice agencies will have full access to criminal history records, except for those that were expunged.

A criminal record can make it more difficult to obtain credit, employment, a residence, a license for certain jobs, and student loans. There are additional restrictions for those convicted of sex crimes. Finally, a criminal record can be accessed by the police investigating subsequent criminal activity and relied on upon subsequent criminal proceedings.

Illinois law allows qualifying arrests, supervisions, and convictions to be either expunged or sealed by court order [20 ILCS 2630/5.2]. An individual must file a petition to expunge the matter in the court which heard the original matter. Expungement results in a criminal record being destroyed. The original police reports are delivered to the individual by the police agency, which does not maintain additional copies. In the case of computerized records systems, police agencies will delete the individual’s electronic records related to the case. Sealing results in the record being kept confidential, and can only be reviewed by criminal justice agencies.

Only criminal offenses, including municipal ordinances, misdemeanors, and certain felonies can be expunged. Civil matters, such as divorces, lawsuits, or orders of protection, are not recorded on a criminal history record, and therefore, are not subject to expungement. A criminal record may be expunged if an individual is found not guilty of the charges or the state dismisses the charges. Under certain circumstances, a criminal record may be expunged when an individual was sentenced to supervision or probation for certain offenses or if the individual was released without conviction for certain offenses.

Petitions to expunge or seal must be filed in the county where the individual was arrested or where the charge was brought. There is a fee to file at the courthouse and a fee to the Illinois State Police…”