Cambridge, Records Sealing and Expungement Attorneys

Being arrested and forced to defend yourself in a Massachusetts court for any crime is a serious matter. However, many may be unaware that even if you are found completely innocent or the charge is thrown out entirely, simply being arraigned in a courtroom for a crime will be recorded on your criminal record, which is available for anybody with an internet connection to search. The only way to prevent this is through a process called expungement, which the attorneys at Altman & Altman LLP can help you with.

Having something appear on your criminal record can result in many negative consequences. It can prevent you from getting a job, owning a firearm, qualifying for loans (such as a mortgage) or affect your eligibility to conduct work that is important to you, such as volunteering at a youth program. The expungement process varies depending on many variables, which is why it’s important to hire an experienced attorney well-versed in how to go about it.

What can be Expunged?

Many criminal charges can be wiped from your criminal history, which can make a big difference for your quality of life. Simple misdemeanors such as shoplifting, simple assault, larcenies and disorderly conduct are common crimes to be expunged – but only if certain criteria are met and you have a competent defense attorney to vouch for you.

Getting a criminal charge, conviction or dismissal expunged relies on a few key criteria – namely the type of charge that you were accused/convicted of and the amount of time that has passed since you were arraigned for the crime. In the case that you were convicted of the crime, you must have served your sentence prior to being eligible for expungement. A few situations where you may be eligible for expungement include:

• You were exonerated (found innocent) of the crime in question
• Without reoffending, five years have passed since you finished serving a sentence for a misdemeanor crime
• Without reoffending, 10 years have passed since you finished serving a sentence for a felony
  • Not all felony offenses apply to this, however, such as certain firearms and sexual-related crimes
• You were arrested on a first-offense misdemeanor drug possession charge
  • These charges may be expunged immediately, without the need to serve the full sentence, at the judge’s discretion

Whatever the crime may have been, the attorneys at Altman & Altman LLP will provide you with the best opportunity to present your case for expungement, which can reduce the stress and anxiety that you may carry around from worrying about when a criminal incident from your past may rear up and negatively affect your life in the present.

We understand that everybody makes mistakes, and ideally people learn from them and improve to become better citizens and human beings. A mistake made a long time ago that has not been repeated should not negatively impact your life years down the road, especially if you are trying to do something constructive and productive with your life, such as get a loan for a home, go to school or get a job. Unfortunately, it is in these areas that having a criminal past of any kind can complicate things immensely.

A criminal past certainly shouldn’t haunt you if you were found to have done nothing wrong, or were found to have been victimized by a false accusation from someone who was seeking to harm your reputation. In these black and white cases, you deserve to have the record corrected, and that is what we specialize in at Altman & Altman.

With over 50 years of experience advocating for our clients, the defense attorneys of Altman & Altman have helped people in Cambridge, Boston and throughout Massachusetts correct their criminal records and live rejuvenated lives. We can help you too.

Contact us online or call for a free consultation to go over the details of your case today at 617-492-3000 or toll-free at 800-481-6199. We are available 24/7.