Illinois Criminal Record Sealing Attorney

Lawyers Assisting Clients With Sealing Criminal Records in DuPage County

The last thing you thought you would face were criminal charges that threatened your freedom and your reputation. Even after the charges and penalties are done, your record of arrest still impedes your progress. Under certain circumstances and after a designated waiting period, Illinois law provides for the expungement or sealing of records for a number of criminal charges. When your record cannot be expunged, you may qualify to have it sealed, which is a big step toward improving your future opportunities.

If you or someone you know is interested in having a criminal record sealed, the criminal defense attorneys at Kathryn L. Harry & Associates, P.C. have the experience and the knowledge to handle the matter expeditiously. Throughout DuPage County and the greater Chicago area, we continue to receive referrals from clients who attest to our positive outcomes in petitioning for the sealing of criminal records.

Sealing Your Criminal Record in Illinois

There are three possible ways of putting your criminal record behind you; expungement, sealing, and executive clemency.

• Expungement is the most advantageous, eliminating your record from all databases in Illinois.
• Sealing is used when you have an offense that cannot be expunged. Sealing will close the record of your criminal past to the general public. Law enforcement agencies will still have access to your record, but most potential employers will not.
• Executive clemency, a pardon from the Governor, is the most rarely granted, and sought only when there is no possibility of expungement or sealing.

In most felony cases you cannot have your records sealed. Crimes that cannot be sealed include:

• Driving under the influence (DUI).
• Reckless driving.
• Domestic Battery.
• Violation of an order of protection.
• Animal Crimes
• Some Sex Crimes, including offenses committed against minors or offenses which require registration as a sex offender.

In the past, only certain convictions qualified for sealing in Illinois. However, recent changes to the law have expanded the eligibility for sealing, and most convictions can now be sealed, including:

• Possession of controlled substances.
• Prostitution.
• Retail theft.
• Deceptive practices.
• Forgery.
• Burglary.
• Intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance.

Call a DuPage County Criminal Defense Lawyer

When you have been before the criminal justice system for offenses that mar your record, you should do everything you can to move on in your life without having to have your criminal history impede your progress, especially in employment opportunities. The attorneys at the law firm of Kathryn L. Harry & Associates, P.C. know the benefits of having your record sealed, and will facilitate that for you. Contact our Elmhurst criminal defense attorneys at 630-472-9700 for a free initial consultation. We provide legal representation in Wheaton, Burr Ridge, Downers Grove, Lombard, Willowbrook, Westchester, DuPage County and surrounding areas.