Many people in Tennessee and across the country sadly find out that a criminal record can have enduring adverse consequences long after a charge was dismissed or a post-conviction sentence served. Sometimes those negative effects can last for a lifetime.
Many scenarios readily come to light concerning the difficulties that an individual with a criminal record can face in daily life. The desire for a military career can be thwarted. Applications submitted to various schools might be summarily rejected. Apartment managers are often swayed by criminal information, refusing to rent units to individuals they deem tainted through any nexus with a criminal past.
And, of course, reams of empirical evidence conclusively confirm that job resumes from persons with criminal records often find the garbage can immediately upon being perused by potential employers.
In other words, the stigma of a prior charge or conviction can be harsh and forever.
In some instances, that is of course patently unfair, and the law recognizes that by making allowances for deleting information from the public record.
That spells a tremendously important opportunity for individuals who are deemed eligible for so-called “expungement” of their criminal past.
As we note on our website at the well established Law Offices of Thomas T. Overton in Nashville, “not all offenses are expungeable.” Moreover, a time bar can apply in a given case, and a very specific process must be followed to petition for the removal of negative criminal information from public purview.
For those and related reasons, it is important for any person seeking information regarding expungement and its potential application to timely consult with a proven criminal defense attorney who closely understands the process and all its requirements.
For obvious reasons, and as we note on our website, “An expungement can provide peace of mind” to individuals who are eligible to apply for it. Our firm can supply the details.
