If you live in Joliet or Will County, Illinois, and have struggled one way or another because of a criminal conviction on your record, what can you do? In 2010 Illinois passed the Criminal Identification Act which will allow you, or anyone you know with a criminal conviction to “expunge” that conviction off of your record. In order to expunge a criminal record a person must first find out if they qualify. Before we get to qualification, we should know why expunging a record in important.
A person living in Joliet or Will County, Illinois, who has a criminal conviction on their record may have a harder time finding employment, getting good rates on insurance and even may be denied housing by a landlord, all because someone made one mistake. Thankfully, Illinois has given residents a chance to clear their record by expungement, if they qualify.
The basis for qualification differ depending on what the original criminal conviction was. However, if a resident of Joliet or Will County Illinois meets the following criteria, they have a good chance of qualifying for expungement:
- An Illinois resident has no pending criminal actions against them, and all criminal actions against them have reached a final order or disposition.
- An Illinois resident has no prior criminal convictions. (If a resident does have a prior criminal arrest or conviction their record may still be eligible expungement if they were granted probation or supervision.).
Even if a resident of Will County Illinois does have a prior conviction they may still qualify in getting their record sealed. A sealed record is similar to expungement, in that no one will be able to see the conviction on your record. However, unlike expungement, the conviction is still in your file and may be seen with the permission of a court order.
There are huge benefits for an Illinois resident who expunges or seals his criminal record. While there are general guidelines for knowing whether or not you qualify for expungement, it can be a confusing and intimidating process. If you have any questions pertaining to the sealing or expungement of your criminal record contact Hamilton & Antonsen at 815.729.9220 to set up a complimentary consultation with an experienced attorney.