Can I Have My Criminal Record Expunged in Connecticut?

 Posted on April 22,2022 in Criminal Defense

When a person is charged with a crime, they will either be convicted of the crime, found not guilty, make a plea agreement with the prosecutor, or the charges will be dropped with no further action.

For those individuals who end up having that conviction on their record, there can be serious ramifications that could have a detrimental impact on their future. In certain situations, the person may be able to have the incident stricken from their criminal record. In Connecticut, this is referred to as an expungement or absolute pardon.

Automatic Expungement of a Criminal Record

A popular misconception is that a criminal record only comes into existence upon a conviction, when in reality, a person who has been arrested but not convicted, or arrested and charged but found not guilty, also has a criminal record.

In Connecticut, there are certain offenses that are supposed to be expunged automatically from your record:

• The person was charged with a criminal offense but found not guilty

• The case against the person was dismissed

• It has been at least 13 months since the prosecutor decided to drop the charges against the defendant (legally called “nolled”)

• The case against the individual has been put on hold for at least 13 months with no disposition or prosecution

Although in these situations your record is supposed to be automatically expunged, it is always a good idea to work with a defense attorney to make sure they have been.

Applying for Expungement

If you do not meet any of the above criteria, then the charges are sitting on your criminal record. These records can be seen by the general public in most states – the rationale is that a criminal record should be viewable by the public to alert those who might seek to enter into any kind of relationship with the person, especially a legal relationship, such as an employer or landlord. However, it may be possible to expunge these types of records if certain criteria are met.

When one’s criminal record is expunged, it is entirely erased, as if the case in question never occurred. Because the stakes for such an action can be quite high, expungement is generally only available in under certain circumstances:

• It has been at least three years since disposition of a misdemeanor charge

• It has been at least five years since the disposition of a felony charge

• The individual is not on probation or parole

• There are no open cases or pending charges in any federal or state jurisdiction

Contact a Fairfield County Criminal Just Attorney

If you would like to learn more about expunging your criminal record, call Law Offices of Daniel P. Weiner at 203-348-5846 today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Stamford, CT expungement lawyer.

Source:

https://portal.ct.gov/BOPP/Pardon-Division/Pardon/Pardon-FAQs