Some minor choices can lead to problems with far-reaching life implications. If you are caught up in a legal problem that leads to a criminal conviction, you might feel like your world is falling apart.
Fortunately, Indiana does not believe that your mistake should weigh you down forever, especially after paying your price to society. If you were arrested or, in some instances, charged and convicted for certain crimes, there is a pretty good chance you may petition the court to expunge your record under the Indiana Second Chance Act.
How does Indiana expungement law work?
To take advantage of Indiana expungement law, it helps to start off by understanding exactly what expungement is and what it does and does not do. Generally, expungement is the process of petitioning the court to withhold your criminal record from public access. Contrary to belief, an expungement does not completely erase your criminal history, rather, it seals your record from public view.
What records can you expunge?
Your path to a clean record starts by establishing if your record can be expunged. Here are some of the records that you can expunge in Indiana:
- Certain arrests and criminal charges
- Post-conviction proceedings
- Civil forfeitures
- Delinquency adjudications
Are all crimes are eligible for expungement?
Under Indiana law, certain criminal offenses are deemed too serious to be expunged. Here are some of the crimes that cannot be expunged in Indiana:
- Crimes that involve homicide (murder and manslaughter)
- Multiple convictions for crimes that involve the use of deadly weapons
- Crimes that involve sex or violent offenses
- Certain misconduct offenses
Life’s poor choices do not have to haunt you forever. Find out how you can expunge a criminal record in Indiana.