Winston Law PA
561-670-9375

Sealing and Expunging

If you have a past arrest on your record or withhold of conviction, you may be eligible to have your criminal record sealed or expunged. Criminal records can be accessed during background checks by law enforcement, employers, schools, banks, landlords and in many other situations.  Even an arrest with no charges being filed can result in an application being denied.  If you qualify to seal or expunge your record, Winston Law, P.A. can help you through the process to make sure you meet all the requirements.

There is a difference between sealing and expunging a record.  When a record is sealed it is still maintained but access to it is only allowed by a few agencies, such as law enforcement, the military, and governmental agencies.  If you have plead guilty to a crime and received a withhold of adjudication, in many cases you can seal your record.  When a record is expunged, the record is destroyed. If you have been arrested and charges were either not filed or dropped, you may be eligible for an expungement.  If your record has been sealed or expunged, Florida law allows you to not acknowledge an arrest or guilty plea contained in the sealed or expunged record.

Certain types of offenses cannot be sealed or expunged.  Those include many felony crimes of violence, burglary, stalking, domestic violence, and many sex crimes.  Also, an adjudication of the charge on your record cannot be sealed or expunged.

Winston Law, P.A. can assess your case and determine whether you are eligible to have your record sealed or expunged.

If you or a loved one has a criminal record you would like sealed or expunged, please contact Winston Law, P.A. at (561) 670-9375 or [email protected] for your initial consultation.

winston law