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Another reason you may visit our office is past convictions. Your criminal record may limit your employment or housing opportunities. It may even just keep you from moving on mentally. For these instances, you may have the option of expunction or nondisclosure to control the distribution, or even existence, of your criminal record.

Expunction

Expunction is the clearing of your criminal record. It deals with arrests, charges, and convictions that meet particular requirements. Your record could be eligible for expunction if:

• A past arrest never resulted in charges;
• Your criminal charges were dismissed;
• Your charges involve misdemeanor juvenile offense that involves failure to attend school or alcoholic beverages;
• The arrest, charge or conviction on your record was due to the individual who was actually arrested, charged or convicted committing identity theft;
• You were acquitted by the trial or appeals court; and
• You were pardoned by the governor or the president.

In addition to your conviction falling in an eligible category, you must also have avoided felony convictions within the last five years and are not currently under deferred adjudication or probation. If you are currently facing new charges, your record is not eligible for expunction.

The Law Firm of Preston Jones is familiar with expunction procedures in Kansas City. We will review your circumstances and past charges to see if this is an appropriate remedy for you. If that is the case, we will file the petition on your behalf and do whatever we can to clear your record so you can move on with the rest of your life.

Nondisclosure Orders

If an expunction is not an option that is available to you, a nondisclosure order may be the next best thing. While this order will not destroy your past criminal records it will limit the circumstances they can be disclosed. It will remove the convictions from the public record which reduces their accessibility to certain private parties. However, they will remain available to government agencies and can be admissible in court actions.

Unlike expunction orders, you are eligible if you successfully completed the requirements of a deferred adjudication and had the charges discharged and dismissed. However, depending on your past convictions, you may have to satisfy a waiting period of up to 10 years before applying for a nondisclosure order.

When you hire the Law Firm of Preston Jones, we can review your record and determine its eligibility for a nondisclosure order—including whether you met any waiting period requirements. If you qualify, we will submit the paperwork and follow through until an order is issued.

With our broad experience with federal crimes, state charges, and ways to clear or reduce the exposure of criminal records, the Law Firm of Preston Jones is a strong full-service criminal defense firm serving the Kansas City, MO area.