Maintaining law and order is every citizen’s first and foremost duty, but sometimes certain situations arise when people cannot help themselves and crimes are committed. Again sometimes, people are falsely accused of crimes they do not save. Expungement laws in Michigan or anywhere in the world help people seal or remove their criminal records from the government records. This law allows those who once committed a crime but want to change themselves and start fresh and those falsely accused of some crime that they never achieved.
Rules And Regulations For Expungement Laws
There are many rules and regulations if you want to avail of expungement.
- Eligible Crimes – Not all crimes are eligible to avail expungement. Crimes like rape, murder, and multiple convictions do not qualify for expungement as these are serious crimes. Any kind of juvenile crimes, misdemeanour, false accusations, and people convicted once or twice at most are eligible. The law allows this kind of people to erase their criminal records to start a new life.
- People Qualified To Grant – A judge and no one else can only give expungement. It’s the sole duty of a judge to go through the case and study it properly and decide whether the person is eligible for expungement or not.
- Time Limits And Waiting Period – The expungement laws in Michigan offer many opportunities. People who want to apply for expungement should wait for at least five years after getting released from prison or conviction. The waiting period can be avoided in only certain exceptional cases.
Is A Lawyer Necessary For Filing Expungement?
Lawyers are not always necessary while filing for expungement. People sometimes file on their own without the help of a lawyer and get their job done. But if you hire an expert attorney for the filing process, they can guide you through it. They can help you persuade the judge that you will commit no more crimes and how the expungement can help you start anew and fresh. An expert attorney can help you convince the judge about your positive attitude towards improvement and even vouch for you. So hiring a Van Nuys Expungement Lawyer can help erase the records permanently and make your efforts less.
The criminal records are never wholly erased but are removed from public records so that not everyone can get access. They remain in government records and can be accessed by specific people only. Still, the expungement law has helped many people to move on with their lives, forgetting the crimes they once committed.
