*Disclaimer: This video and post do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship has been formed unless and until the relationship is confirmed in writing by Attorney Simms.
Have you ever failed to get a job because you can’t pass a background check?
Do you lose sleep at night thinking about your past mistakes?
Have you ever not applied for a job because you know that your past convictions will prevent you from even being considered?
As a criminal defense and expungement lawyer in Morgantown West Virginia since 2006, I have helped hundreds of people rebuild, and put their lives back together after going through the most difficult time in their lives.
In this post I’m going to talk about West Virginia’ s expungement law, which allows you to seal your criminal records.
Who can have their record expunged (sealed) in West Virginia?
The expungement process is for people who:
- have been convicted of crimes, including some felonies, most misdemeanors and traffic citations
- OR have had criminal charges dismissed.
Importantly, an expungement can apply to multiple events – not just one bad night.
How does the expungement process in West Virginia work?
This is generally how expungement works:
- First, you have to find out if the offenses you were charged with or convicted of are expungable.
- Second, you file a document called a petition with the circuit court, and serve it on the involved parties.
- Third, the court considers your petition and the responses of those parties, and the court will then either grant or deny your petition.
When you pursue an expungement, you have to be aware – there are certain time periods that have to be met. Additionally, you have to satisfy the court that you have been rehabilitated and are deserving of relief.
It is possible that you might have to go to court and argue your case. More importantly, you may only have one chance at doing it right. This is why even people with advanced degrees sometimes choose not to pursue expungements – because of the detail, time and effort that is involved.
If you want to find out more and to see if I can help, click here for more information, or contact me today and I will call you to talk about your unique needs.
*Disclaimer: This video does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship has been formed unless and until the relationship is confirmed in writing by Attorney Simms.