Legal Question in Criminal Law in Ohio

Non-Conviction Expungements

I live in Lake County, Ohio. I was charged with a grand theft and I put my faith in the Justice System and hoped it would work the right way. I was found ''not guilty'' at a jury trial, Now, 14 years later as I search for a new Job I find that there is still a record of this ''arrest'' and there is a great possibility that I have not been picked for jobs because of this record. I have been told by several friends in the legal field that a ''not Guilty'' is not the same as innocent and that many will view it as you ''beat'' the system or that police and prosecutors would not persue charges if you are not guilty. This all seems unfair. Can I expunge this record, some say no and others say yes. I called the Clerk of Courts and they said there was no form for non-conviction expungements and that they are rarely granted. Attorneys want to charge me up to 2500.00 to try and expunge this record but I cannot afford this. Can I expunge this record and can I do it on my own????


Asked on 3/09/06, 7:57 am

2 Answers from Attorneys
Thomas Gordon Gordon Law Services Co., L.P.A.

Re: Non-Conviction Expungements

You should be able to expunge this if you do not have any other criminal convictions on your record. I do not know what friends you have in the legal field, but they have no idea what they are talking about as far as "guilty" and "innocent." You could do this yourself, but it would be extremely difficult and frustrating. You don't want to put a lot of time and effort into doing it, only to have a judge dismiss it because the correct code section was not referenced, etc. I've done expungements before. E-mail any other questions if you want. You can also see my website at www.columbuscriminaldefenselawyers.com

Read more
Answered on 3/09/06, 8:47 am
Timothy Hess T. Hess & Associates, LLC

Re: Non-Conviction Expungements

It is possible to have the record sealed if you do not have any pending criminal cases. You should file for it or get an attorney to do it for you. The fee you mentioned seems very high. I have done many expungements and never charged anywhere near that much. Contact me if you have any questions. --Tim Hess 216. 227. 0900

Read more
Answered on 3/14/06, 8:18 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More Criminal Law questions and answers in Ohio