If you read my other blogs and articles you know that it is very important to keep your criminal record as clean as possible and if there is a blemish to try to have it expunged. Unfortunately, it is impossible to expunge every part of a record. Allow me to explain.
In Pennsylvania when a person is charged with a crime a copy of the paperwork is sent to the Administrative Office Of The Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC). The AOPC has a website which lists among other things, the name of the person who was charged with the crime as well as the crime.
There are services around the world that take that information from the AOPC website and store it. These services may include government entities as well as private individuals and companies. It is impossible to know what entities may have taken information from the AOPC website.
Therefore, although we are able to expunge the official records, we cannot expunge or erase the records from other entities who have taken the information from the AOPC website.
As I have often said even though the record has been expunged, anyone who knows how to look and is willing to spend the time may be able to find a criminal record which has been officially expunged. That having been said, it is my opinion that a person should still expunge all eligible records. Expungement will make any record more difficult to find.
