Sealing Criminal Records in Colorado
A criminal record can follow you for a long time, complicating any other legal matters and interfering with your ability to get a good job, government assistance or even housing. Criminal records are usually accessible to background check services and law enforcement. There is hope for individuals who have been arrested or charged with a crime when it comes to their criminal records in Colorado. A criminal defense attorney can help individuals arrested or simply charged with a crime in more ways than simply representing their interests in court: they can help their clients get their Colorado criminal record sealed by the court.
Criminal records are documentation pertaining to any criminal charges filed against an individual, as well as the judgments in those cases, whether they were convictions or simply arrests. According to Colorado law, criminal records are considered sealed if they involve “a criminal incident that can be represented not to exist.” In layman’s terms, this means only records of criminal incidents that didn’t result in a conviction. Cases where no criminal charges were actually filed, the criminal case was dismissed or the accused was acquitted of criminal charges are generally eligible for sealing by the court.
For more information or to schedule a free consultation with one of our Castle Rock Colorado Lawyers, please contact us.
Filing Petitions in Denver and Castle Rock
In order to seal or expunge Colorado criminal records, the accused or their attorney must file a petition in the district court in which the criminal incident occurred, and one petition for each violation must be filed with the court. A criminal defense attorney will be familiar with all legal procedures for criminal record sealing or expungement, and they can file petitions in a timely manner and help their clients avoid a criminal incident preventing them from living their life.