Expungement Lawyer

If you have been arrested, that will be on your public record, which is easily available for all the world to see. Your employer or future employer, landlords, banks, family and neighbors can read about all the details of your case, even if you were not convicted. There are many fee-based services where, for a few dollars, your entire public record can be made available. It is also possible to access the Rhode Island criminal records database and the Massachusetts criminal record database at no charge.

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The good news is, certain criminal charges and convictions may be eligible for expungement, essentially sealing your criminal record from public view. Sheeley Law has extensive experience with expungement cases and is prepared to help you get a clean start in life.

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Do you qualify for expungement?

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Rhode Island is considered to be fairly lenient with regards to expungement. Depending on the nature of your arrest and any associated criminal charges, expungement, if granted by the court, will remove any mention of the criminal matter from all court records, police department records, probation department records and the bureau of criminal identification.

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If you were exonerated or your case was dismissed, you should file a motion to have your records sealed or expunged. If your case resulted in a dismissal or "no information" or "no true bill," or if you were found not guilty, it does not mean the record has been sealed automatically. Both expungement and sealing are only available to you if you do not have a prior felony conviction.

Rhode Island law has procedures for individuals to expunge their records, and this can include certain felony convictions. For more information on Rhode Island's Expungement Laws, click here.

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If you were ever charged with a marijuana-related crime, you could be eligible to get your record expunged per Rhode Island new legalization law. Click here to read more.