Wednesday, January 14, 2009

After the Criminal Trial

Going through a criminal trial can be a very difficult thing for anyone to have to deal with. This can also be a very emotional time. Things only get worse when you are found guilty and convicted of the crime. However, it is important to remember that there are still options open to you.

Many people who are convicted of a crime are eligible for a gubernatorial pardon. This can do a great deal for you. Some of your rights can be restored after your conviction has revoked them. These can include the right to vote, the right to hold public office, and the right to serve on a jury. You also regain your ability to serve as the executor or the administrator of an estate, and the ability to obtain certain licenses. These restorations can be incredibly helpful to you.

However, a pardon will not do everything that you need. You will not be forgiven your owed fines, fees, restitution or reparations. In addition to the monetary obligations, there are also other conditional repercussions that will not be fixed by a pardon from the governor.

One of the most important things that a governor's pardon cannot grant you is expungement. This means that even though the governor has pardoned you, you still have a criminal record with your arrest on it. The only way to fix this is to file a civil suit for expungement of your criminal record.

It is also important to remember that even if you had been acquitted, you would still need to expunge your record. No matter what the outcome of your criminal case may be, your criminal record will still be intact. The only way to get rid of this is to go through the expungement process.

In order to figure out your options with expungement, you should contact an experienced expungement attorney. However, there are some basic guidelines that you can follow. For expungement, you should have received deferred adjudication for a Class C Misdemeanor or less. If this does not fit your situation, you can still receive non disclosure.

For more information on expungement and non disclosure, you can click here.

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