Category: Criminal Record Sealing

 

Maybe you served your time and just wanted to move on. Or perhaps you beat your charges and didn’t want to deal with more legal nonsense.

 

Whatever your reason, you decided to put off getting your record sealed or expunged.

 

Bad idea.

 

Why? Because even if you have put the past behind you, if you’re lugging around a criminal record, others won’t see it that way,

 

Psychological research on brain development and teen impulsivity shows that the adolescent brain’s reward centers have increased sensitivity, and that teens’ brains need to develop more in order for them to be able to rationally consider the long-term implications of bad decisions.

 

Conversely, the same line of research indicates that the deeper into the justice system they are thrust, the worse a teen’s family relationships, educational development, and

 

Long after you have completed your sentence for a criminal conviction, your criminal record will come back to haunt you in nearly every aspect of your life, including employment, housing, loans, and higher education.

 

Moreover, criminal records are maintained in public databases, meaning that anyone with an internet connection and the desire to snoop can access embarrassing details of a past mistake that you would prefer to put

So you’ve been charged with a crime. As you prepare for trial, you likely have penalties like jail time or heavy fees on your mind. What many people don’t realize, though, is that even once they have served their time, they will still face the surprisingly impactful consequence of lugging around a criminal record.

 

Why is this a big deal?

 

Criminal records are public online. Anyone – from

We get it – kids make mistakes. If your child has an arrest or conviction on their record, it does not mean they are a bad kid. They simply made a poor choice and ended up paying the price.

 

But now they have learned their lesson. And they’re ready to get an education or a job and move on: after all, they have their whole life ahead of them.