Expungement Lawyer in West Palm Beach

You have likely heard that a criminal record can follow you for a lifetime. However, you may not know that an arrest record alone (without a conviction) can also impact your life. You still have a record and must disclose the prior arrest when asked on applications. That can affect your employment outlook, housing, and so much more.

Fortunately, you do have a possible course of action. As long as you were not convicted of the crime, you might qualify for expungement. In fact, you might even qualify if the judge withheld adjudication of guilt.

Before moving forward, it is essential to know if you qualify. Thus, contact our West Palm Beach expungement attorney today to discuss your situation.

Do You Qualify for Expungement?

Florida has some of the toughest eligibility criteria for expungement in the country. However, you might qualify if:

  • You were arrested, but charges were not filed
  • The charges were dropped
  • The court dismissed the charges
  • You were found not guilty at trial
  • Your charges were dropped after completing a diversion program

How Many Records Can You Expunge?

Record expungement is meant to give people a fresh start, and the State of Florida expects people to use the change in circumstances to their advantage. Thus, you are allowed to expunge only one record during your lifetime. Therefore, if you have multiple arrests but no convictions, you can only choose one record to expunge.

There is one caveat, though. If you have multiple related charges, the court might allow you to expunge them all. So consult with a West Palm Beach expungement lawyer before moving forward. After reviewing your record, the lawyer can provide guidance and help you take the necessary steps.

Disqualifying Offenses

In many cases, you can file for expungement if a case goes to trial, but the court withholds adjudication of guilt or if you were found not guilty at trial. However, some charges can only be expunged if dismissed or dropped before trial.

You can find the list of disqualifying offenses in Sections 943.0585, 943.059, and 907.041 of the Florida Statutes. Those charges include sexual battery, kidnapping, arson, and other serious offenses. Additionally, if you were charged with conspiring to commit one of the listed crimes, you are not eligible for expungement.

With so many statutes and guidelines, it can be challenging to determine if you are eligible or not. Thus, consult with an expungement attorney in West Palm Beach to discuss your particular situation.

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WHY CHOOSE RONALD S. CHAPMAN, P.A.?

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  • Over 34 Years of Experience – Ronald S. Chapman has represented clients facing both state and federal charges since 1990, and he has had more than 200 trials.
  • Numerous 5-star Reviews – Our West Palm Beach law firm has accumulated five-star reviews on Google, Yelp, Lawyers.com, Avvo, and other sites.
  • Sole Practitioner– As a sole practitioner, Ronald S. Chapman works directly with each client he serves instead of handing them off to staff members.
  • Represents Clients in State and Federal Court – While some West Palm Beach criminal defense lawyers handle only state charges or federal charges, Ronald S. Chapman handles both types of charges ranging from state-level assault charges to federal-level drug trafficking and white-collar crimes.
  • Bilingual Legal Services – Ronald S. Chapman provides legal services in English and Spanish, so you won’t have any trouble communicating with him.

Disclosure Protections After Expungement

If you successfully expunge your criminal record, you will have disclosure protections. That means you will not have to disclose that you had a criminal record. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For instance, you must disclose your criminal history if applying for a job with law enforcement or for certain jobs in the medical field. Those are just some of the exceptions. Learn more by speaking with a West Palm Beach expungement lawyer today.

Can You Expunge A Charge If You Have A Conviction?

If you have previously been found guilty of a charge, you cannot apply for expungement unless adjudication was withheld. This is true if you were found guilty at trial Thus, it is vital to seek legal counsel if charged with an offense. Your attorney will work tirelessly to help you avoid a conviction.

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Real Clients, Real Testimonials

Hello, I am Héctor D and Ingris R, We want to thank the lawyer Ronald Chapman and his secretary Elizabeth for helping us in our case. We are very happy about the good service. He is an exceptional lawyer, great ethics, and very human. We are very grateful that he helped us with our case and it ended well. I recommend his services to everyone because he is a very good lawyer. Thank you very much.
Héctor D and Ingris R

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Since 1990, Mr. Chapman has been representing people who have been accused of committing various types of crimes such as DUI, domestic violence, possession of a firearm, drug possession, expungement, traffic crimes, murder, manslaughter, crimes against children, sex crimes, crimes against the elderly, appeals, and violations of probation.
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The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice.You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.
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