Until today, I had no idea that there are a handful of websites in existence that supposedly devote their resources to assisting individuals “clear off” their criminal records at a “more reasonable” or “reduced” rate. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised as ultimately you can find pretty much any type…
PART 1 OF 2 I am usually asked at least once a day if, after learning of a potential client’s criminal history I can guarantee his or her petition for expungement (or sealing, as the case may be) will be granted. While I realize that many of my clients are…
Many of my clients are finding themselves in the position of needing to petition for executive clemency in order to clear even one felony theft charge from their criminal record. As I’ve previously mentioned, someone with even one conviction in his/her past is not eligible for relief through the expungement…
It seems a bit counterintuitive that in Illinois, a person who is merely arrested, but not formally charged with a crime (i.e., this person is “released without charging”, or “RWOC”) must proactively seek to have his/her arrest expunged or sealed. After all, with regard to felonies, if the arresting officer(s)…
Generally speaking, an Illinois employer or prospective employer may use information from a person’s criminal history record to make a decision about whether or not to hire (or retain, if the individual has already been provisionally hired) that person. Of course, there are several key exceptions to this generality, the…
Many people seeking to clear their criminal records through the Illinois expungement and/or sealing laws are quite surprised to learn that certain traffic law violations can affect the outcome of their situation dramatically. Not only do certain violations of the Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/ et seq.) result in…
Expungement eligibility in Illinois is not decided in a vacuum, but rather a person’s entire criminal record is analyzed to determine qualification. My clients are sometimes astounded by the factors that convert their otherwise expungeable criminal record into non-expungeable one. At times it is even a client’s non-compliance with a…
There are so many common misconceptions about what can and cannot be expunged from an adult’s criminal record in the state of Illinois. Moreover, it’s not just the general public who is confused about the state of our laws in this area; I’ve encountered numerous attorneys, and even a few…