According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal nearly one in three adult Americans has a criminal record. Companies looking for new employees are forced to comply with a host of state and federal laws pertaining to who they can and cannot hire. One study cited that nearly fifty percent of people with criminal records never got a call back for a job.
Companies are concerned that if they hire a person who has a criminal record and something goes wrong, the company may be liable. One employer reported that his first priority is keeping the workplace safe for all employees.
Even if a person was arrested but there was no conviction, the case was dismissed or the person was found not guilty, a criminal record may still exist.
If you have a criminal record, it may be possible to expunge that record. Factors such as the nature of the criminal offense, the disposition or what happened in the end and the time since the record was created all weigh on whether or not that record can be expunged. In some cases, a person is automatically entitled to an expungement, but the expungement itself is not automatic. The person, usually with the help of a lawyer, must file certain paperwork in order to have a judge sign an order expunging the record. Additionally, the lawyer should also follow up to make sure that the record is physically destroyed, usually by receiving a certification from the court.
Any person who has even the most minor criminal record may want to consider consulting a lawyer to see if that record can be expunged. It may very well be the thing that makes the difference between getting and not getting a job.
