In a New York court this week, actress Tatum O'Neal pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in connection with her arrest last month for cocaine possession. The judge ordered O'Neal to complete two half-day sessions in a drug treatment program and pay a fine of $95. The case will be dismissed if she meets those conditions by September 4. This is an excellent example of what an experienced expungement attorney can do for you.
In California, expungement is the legal process by which a criminal conviction is dismissed. While expungement does not destroy or seal your criminal record from justice authorities, it does remove it from the public record. After expungement court files will carry a notation of the crime and the fact that it was dismissed, but it will not count against you or show up on background checks.
A criminal record can prevent you from getting a job, obtaining credit, buying a house or car, renting an apartment, getting a student loan, voting, becoming a U.S. citizen or obtaining a state license to be a nurse, doctor, teacher, realtor, etc. With the help of a qualified expungement attorney, your criminal record can be expunged and the stigma of a criminal record erased. What may have been a youthful indiscretion or a lapse in judgment will no longer haunt you. After expungement your crime will not show up on background checks by potential employers, bank officers or nosy neighbors. You will again enjoy the rights of every law-abiding citizen.
For more information on expungement and criminal defense, visit our English website or Spanish version website.
-LegalPro
