Record Clearing and Expungement

Recovery… A Life Long Process.

Record Clearing — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:02:03 +0000

Hello, I was interested in doing this for the purpose of showing that lives can change after being convicted of a crime(s). I started my trips to jail in 2005 resulting from a drug addiction. Once the jail sentencing began it was hard to stop. I was addicted to a substance that I could not control. Probation was impossible for me to comply with due to not having a solution to help me stop using. I ended up getting arrested for stealing to support my habit and eventually received time for the substance abuse. The last time they had given me a choice to go to jail or take a prison sentence. I heard that Parole had better programs that would help me in my situation so I chose Prison. I was in prison for about 8 months and was released to a DTF program. I was able to acquire some info. on Programs that would help me find the reason why I could not stop. I enrolled in the behavioral modification program voluntarily and started my journey of recovery. I stayed for 11 months and acquired a sponsor in a well known 12-step program. I continued to do my steps through the 12-step program as I graduated to a sober living home where I also discharged parole. While going through the steps and helping others like myself, I change with in, sufficiently enough to bring about recovery. I no longer have the emotional pain with in myself, having to pick up and use to feel better. This process does not end here though. It will take strenuous work, rigorous honesty and most importantly it will take dedication to those who our still suffering from this disease of addiction. Since I have improved myself from the inside out I have obtained a job that I have worked at for 2 years. My family is back in my life. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and I am proud to say I am a part of the positive side of society today. This is my story up to this point. I believe that 7 years for some is too long. This law should be enforced upon a case to case bases. Not everyone that has been convicted of a felony will be a repeat offender. Thank you for listening to my story.

Wrongfully Charged with Domestic Violence

Record Clearing — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:14:47 +0000

My name is Bob. I served my country for 10 years in the United States Navy before returning home to take care of my daughter. I have over 19 years working with military personnel dealing which requires a standard of decorum and a top secret clearance. I got married in 2002 to a woman who unbeknownst to me was recently divorced, an alledged victim of domestic violence. I now see she married me to get out of debt and pay her way through school. Shortly after our marriage she became pregnant. After having our daughter, she immediately became distant. A few years later, we bought a house, given her credit was terrible I had to carry the loan myself. Six months later she finished her course work for her Phd, then she claimed that I beat her. There was no proof of violence. However, I was arrested, I lost my job. The charges were dismissed. Afterwards, we got a divorce. Distraught and in despair, now realizing I have been exploited. My credibility and standing in the community was damaged. In addition, she hid my child from me. In attempt to alienate me from my child, she has filed false claims of domestic violence 5 other times.

Each time the case was dismissed. These claims have had a negative impact on my career. My ex-wife remarried a few months later. Just recently, she made another false allegation. This is an attempt to financially, psychologically, and emotionally destroy me and any healthy relationship with my child.

Sadly in the state of Florida, her malicious behavior can continue without any repercussions. She is actually manipulating the law to achieve her dysfunctional and immoral behavior. Ironically, I am the victim of domestic violence, by her actions and by a law that continues to retained dismissed allegations of domestic violence on record. The very act of retaining this in public record is detrimental to my life and also further her attempts to obtain sole custody. I have now learned that she has done this before. She just simply remarries to hide her previous history. What can be done ? There are no repecussions for her actions in the state of Florida, meanwhile my employability and credibility decreases in the community. No matter where I am, when a background check is performed these lies will be on my public record.

They Ruined My Life

Record Clearing — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:18:26 +0000

I was coming home from a birthday dinner when I was hit by a trailer swerving between lanes. I sped up to try and pass the trailer, but my tire was hit. That sent me spinning across the highway where I hit a concrete barrier. I was rushed to the hospital and released. Two weeks later, I was sent a DWI in the mail. I couldn’t fight it because they had my blood which was taken without consent. I had two glasses of wine with dinner!

I applied for a job with a school district and was told they wanted me for the job, but I needed to release myself from my contract at my other school. I called my principal to release my contract, and then this school district said they could not hire me because of my DWI conviction. This was not posted anywhere on the application, but I had disclosed it anyway.

Now, I am out of a job and most employers are denying me because of this conviction. I can’t erase the DWI or cover it up. It is on my record forever! A DWI has absolutely nothing to do with teaching…..

This law is crazy! How does keeping someone from working teach them a lesson about drinking?

Veteran Need Second Chance at Life

Record Clearing — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:51:44 +0000

When I came to Florida ,i was free and clear of having a criminal record.not knowing the processer of pleading not guilty in taking it to court, I would plea guilty to misdemeanor charges thinking it would not have an effect on my job oppuritunity in the future. I served in Iraq in the year of 2003 to 2005 Thinking my pass was behind me. Well i was wrong i was arrested for public intoxication and battery on a police officer without violence.I was also arrest for number of felony charges where they was drop, now Im face when they do a criminal background check. i dont get the job because of my back ground check now im marked for the rest my life because of a arest record that cant go away. I see if i did the same crime over and over an was convicted. but that;s not so all I ask is for my arrest record and misdermener conviction to go away .sometime i think the system is gear for just the black people to fail. an its killing alot of young black american career and job opportunity.

No One Will Hire Me Because?

Record Clearing — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:50:53 +0000

I am writing this for my long time partner. We have been together for 26 years. He helped me to raise my two children and he also have helped me raise nieces, nephews, God-children and just friends children.

I met him he was recently out of jail. He has not went back to jail since I met him. (Except for a traffic ticket is all). People do not know him like I do he is a beautiful person.

He became unemployed last September and have not had a decent job since. He occasionaly works for his friend but nothing stable. We have put out over 500 resumes and applications and nothing happens because of his past history.

Please pardon him so that he can once again stand up like a man and care for his family. He has qualified for so many jobs and the only thing holding him back is his criminal record. He used to be a thief. He has not stolen anything for 26 years and even being out of a job he has not had the urge to steal again.

He loves his freedom more than people realize. He vows he will never return to the criminal world. Despite all the trouble finding a job he will go rake a field of cow manure before stealing and going back to jail.

I am disable and do not work. Even if I wanted to work my body would not let me. Please can you help us?

Thank you very much for reading this.

I Cant Get a Job.

Record Clearing — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:50:20 +0000

I thank God that I was arrested and finally put on a path to leading a better life. I had spent the better part of five years on drugs and basicly letting my life slip in to ruin before I was caught in an abandoned building. I was arrested for burglary and received deferred adjucated probation for one year. I secusfully completed my probation and was able to turn my life around. As I stated, I am greatfull that I got a ”wake-up call” before something worse happend but I am still struggeling beacuse when I apply for jobs I am constantly faced with background checks wich I enevetably fail. The back ground check shows that I have a fellony burglary of a building on my record. It was my understanding that aupon completion of my probation it would be droped to a missdemenor criminal trespassing. I have been with-out a job since December of 09 and have applyed everywhere with no sucess. I am told it has to be 5 years before I can apply for a petition for non disclosure. I am broke and have at least 3 years to go.

Brass Knuckles I Didnt’ Use!

Record Clearing — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:49:20 +0000

My day started off normal as usual go to my friends house to play video games, chill, and hang out. My friend then brought out some brass knuckles he found outside in the street. I started to play with them just to see how they feel as any other normal person would. Just as the controller was being passed to me I naturally put them in my pocket. An hour later we left to go get something to eat. When we drove about 3 blocks down a cop pulled him over for running a stop sign. When he saw that there were 3 of us in the car he told us all to get out and searched us all when his back-up came. An quite honestly he was the most disrespectful, rudest and most insulting cop I have ever came across.

I was then taken to jail for 2 days and recieved a serious class A misdemeanor weapons charge as it says exactly on my record. I cannot get an apartment or a good job now because of this. I didn’t use the weapon or put anyone in harm with this weapon. I was charged simply because of someone running a stop sign and for some reason that is still unknown to me we all got searched. It should have been a simple ticket but instead because we were teenagers it led to this. I want to get my record expunged I didn’t do anything wrong or dangerous.

Stuck in the System

Record Clearing — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:48:36 +0000

First off my name is Michael. I am from Fort Worth,Texas. I am convicted of 2 misdemeanors for assault and possesion, for 2 and a half years i been out of work had a couple temp jobs but nothing full time..I have 2 little girls,i wish i could give them everything they want but i cant..i dont even qualify for unemployment….im running out of options….someone somebody HELP PLEASE

The Day I Became a Criminal

Record Clearing — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:13:23 +0000

It was the night of December 30, 1995 about 9:30PM I was asleep on the couch when I began to wake up from something hitting me. It was christmas ornaments hit me as I was asleep. I woke up asking what in the hell was going on. It was my soon to be wife throwing christmas ornaments at me. We were to get married in June. She was mad I was not paying attention to her and was sleeping. She had been drinking and there was no talking to her. So I ran to the bedroom and lock myself in and went back to sleep. About an hour later the police were at my bedroom door and ask for me to come out. They wanted to know how she got scratches on her I did not know I guess she fell on the floor and got some scratches from the broken christmas ornaments. The police told me that because there was blood I would have to go with them I was under arrest for Battery FLa. Statue 784.03. I remember taking me out of the apartment as she was still hitting me in front of the female police officer. The police did not even handcuff me not car or the station not till I was sent to the county jail. The city police told me that they were mandated to arrest me because of the scratches. I sat in jail till I had a hearing and was R.O.R. and did not need to post a bond. When I went to court they told me I was facing 3 years and to take the deal probation. I was get married in June and wanted this to go away and go on and forget this night I pled no contest I thought this was the end of it. I should have went to trial I did not want to bring my wife to trial and call her to the stand. Now August 24, 2010 it will never go away. I want that night to go away! Help what can I do? As for my X wife since that night my X wife has been arrest three times First time Battery against me the Second time was Battery against my 12 year old Son And the third time Battery against her 84 year old Father. She never spent a night in Jail I guess it’s who you know if it was me I would still be in prison. 16 Years Later I still have this on My Record I have never been arrested since that night. It’s all about the money and who you know. It would be nice to know the Governor.

Experts Recommend Expungement

Mathew Higbee, Esq — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:01:46 +0000

Bill Greenblatt, CEO of Sterling InfoSystems— a company that conducts several million background checks on job applicants a year, told Money Magazine that people with a criminal record should consult an attorney to see if they are eligible for expungement.

“[T]he percentage of people with some kind of criminal record has been rising steadily for years now,” says CEO Bill Greenblatt. “Currently, about 10% of all applicants we screen have been convicted of something.”

That’s partly because of the relatively recent nationwide crackdown on driving under the influence. “It isn’t necessarily that more people are doing it,” says Greenblatt. “But more people are getting caught.”

The article also had advice for those who have a record but cannot get it expunged. If you are getting discriminated against because of your criminal record, make sure the discrimination does not violate state or federal law.

“The EEOC’s position is that, if you’re going to refuse to hire someone because of his or her criminal record, you must have a legitimate business reason for it. There has to be a connection between the offense and the job,” explains David Gevertz, head of the employment practice at law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz in Atlanta. State laws in this area require the same thing.

And if you do get an interview, Greenblatt says: “be completely upfront about what happened, and bring it up before the interviewer does,” Greenblatt advises. “The last thing you want is to appear to be hiding anything.”