Queens & Bronx Criminal Record Sealing
According to the New York City Court System, there were approximately 64,136 summonses filed in the Bronx jurisdiction alone in 2016. In addition, there were 52,589 arraignments and 59,726 dispositions; again, just in the Bronx and just in 2016. As you can see, thousands of lives are affected by a criminal record. If you have a criminal record in the Bronx and believe it is making it more difficult for you to achieve your dreams and objectives, you may be able to seal certain types of convictions.
However, the process is not easy. You need to satisfy certain eligibility requirements and be able to show that you deserve the benefits associated with a sealing order.
Although expungement is not available in New York, sealing of criminal records is.
The overwhelming majority of employers perform some level of criminal background check on prospective employees. In fact, some reports indicate that it is close to 80 percent. Getting your criminal record sealed or obtaining a certificate could literally make the difference between being hired or not. How? Well, once your criminal record is sealed, the convictions are no longer accessible by the public, which generally means an employer conducting a background check will not have access to that sealed record.
New Law Creates Opportunity to Obtain Seal of Conviction
According to New York Criminal Procedure Law Section 160.59, if you have a limited number of criminal convictions on your record, you can initiate a request to have those conviction records sealed. Under § 160.59, if have two convictions, you can have them sealed. However, if you have more than two convictions, you will not be eligible to get them sealed. In addition, of the two convictions, only one can be a felony conviction.
Another prerequisite is that at least ten years has elapsed since your last conviction when you attempt to obtain a seal. This means if you were convicted of a crime six months ago, you cannot turn around and have that conviction sealed. In addition, the law excludes certain heinous crimes from ever being sealable. For example, if you are a convicted sex offender or you were convicted of a violent offense, you cannot have those records sealed.
If you were convicted of a drug offense, you may be eligible to have that conviction sealed, depending on the type of offense and whether you completed a drug treatment program.
Contact a Queens & Bronx Criminal Record Sealing Lawyer Today
As you can see, the process for getting a criminal conviction sealed can get complicated and there are myriad rules and exceptions you need to be aware of when pursuing a sealing order. That is why we recommend you contact a Bronx criminal record sealing lawyer to discuss your legal options and find out if you qualify to have your criminal record sealed. If your criminal past does not allow your record to be sealed from public access and scrutiny, you may still be able eligible for a certificate of relief from disabilities or a certificate of good conduct. To learn more, contact Levy & Rizzo, LLC, the Clean Slate Attorneys today for further assistance.
