Shoplifting Expungement

If you have been arrested for shoplifting, it could have a serious impact on your future. You will most likely face fines and possible jail time, depending on the severity of your crimes, but you may also face limited employment opportunities in the future. One way to clear your record is through shoplifting expungement. If you are interested in expungement, please contact experienced criminal defense attorney Carl Spector today.

Shoplifting Expungement | Cleaning Your Record

Even if you’ve paid your fines, served your jail time, finished your community service, and satisfied all the court’s conditions, your legal troubles might not be “over.” A conviction can follow you for years, or even a lifetime, affecting your personal life and career. There was a time when New York allowed convicted individuals to have records “sealed,” inaccessible to all but law enforcement officials and select others, but this isn’t the case anymore. Now, in New York State, there are only two ways to keep charges off your record.

If the court dismisses your charges, this is the same as expungement. You would not have to file any additional paperwork to “clean” your record, because in the eyes of the New York State courts, your record was never marked.

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Shoplifting Expungement | Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal

Depending on the charges against you and your previous criminal record, your attorney may be able to meet with the judge hearing your case and the district attorney prosecuting and negotiate an Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal, or ACD. This is like a “diversion.” You will not be convicted, but you will have to stay out of any further trouble, and possibly face non-criminal penalties, including fines and/or community service. After a certain period of time, if you don’t run into any further trouble, the charges will be dismissed. You will not have a criminal record.

Outside these two scenarios, there is no way to expunge a record in New York State. Neither does the law does allow for any retroactive action to “seal” a valid conviction. If you are facing criminal prosecution for shoplifting, do not delay seeking legal counsel. Contact experienced New York shoplifting Lawyer Carl Spector for a free confidential consultation. With over 30 years of experience defending good people caught up in bad situations, he has the skills needed to ensure you get the best possible result for your case. Contact him today and let his experience work for you.