When you have been convicted of a crime and served your time for it, your next question may be how you can get it removed from your record. After all, just because you are out of jail and back to living your life does not mean that it is business as usual. If you are out on parole, you are likely still having to meet many court requirements, including checking in with a parole officer, or risk going back to jail or prison to finish your sentence. Even if your sentence is completely done, you now have a criminal record that can stand in the way of getting the job or housing that you want due to it showing up on a background check. This is when an expungement can really make a difference. In this post, we will make sure that you understand what each of these terms mean.
What is Parole?
Parole is essentially conditional freedom. This means that you will be released from jail or prison before you have completed your full sentence and allowed to finish your sentence under supervision while you are back in the real world. Your parole is generally supervised by a parole officer, who will make sure that you are following any court-ordered requirements. Common requirements include that you do not consume alcohol or drugs, own or possess a firearm, or socialize with other felons. Your parole officer will administer drug and alcohol tests to ensure that you are in compliance with these rules. If you are found to have broken a rule, are arrested again, or miss an appointment with your parole officer, you will be sent back to jail or prison to finish out the rest of your sentence in addition to any time you have been given if you broke additional laws while out on parole.
What is Expungement?
Expungement is a legal process that seals a criminal conviction on your record from being found or viewable to the public or to anyone conducting a background check. States all have different laws about what kind of crimes are eligible for expungement. In Georgia, most misdemeanor crimes can be expunged, and each person can usually have two separate misdemeanors expunged from their record. Once a crime has been expunged from your record, you do not have to disclose it when asked about it by an employer or anyone conducting a background check, and when they run the background check, it will not come up. If you have a misdemeanor, such as public intoxication or disorderly conduct, on your record, expungement is a good way to clear your criminal history, which a lawyer can help you do.
Contact Ghanayem & Rayasam to Schedule a Consultation
If you have been convicted of a crime in Georgia and you want to get your life back on track by requesting parole or an expungement, the experienced criminal defense lawyers at Ghanayem & Rayasam can help. Contact Ghanayem & Rayasam today to schedule a consultation.