Clearing Your Criminal Record Can Give You A New Start

A criminal history can follow you forever, resulting in embarrassment and causing you to lose jobs, school opportunities and have bad credit ratings. But there may be help and Joyce & Bittner can show the way.

Don’t let the embarrassment of a criminal record hold you back. Joyce & Bittner will work with you to clean up your criminal history. Our Pittsburgh attorneys have 50 years of combined experience, and we represent clients in criminal defense law throughout western Pennsylvania. We offer free initial consultations – call 412-557-7931.

Your Past Does Not Have To Determine Your Future

If you had a criminal case where charges were dismissed, withdrawn or you were found not guilty, you can have the arrest record that still follows you expunged!  With a court order of expungement, an arrest record will be deleted and destroyed and the criminal charges will no longer follow you by showing up in background searches. Other case outcomes where charges can be expunged include:

• Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD)
• Pretrial diversions
• Probation without verdict
• Juvenile delinquency records

Criminal Conviction Record Help

In the past, a criminal conviction could not be expunged and would always appear in a background or criminal history search. Under changes to Pennsylvania law, certain misdemeanor convictions can be “sealed” by a court order, and the record of the criminal charges will then not be available to the public, including employers. A person whose record has been ordered sealed would no longer have to disclose it to employers on applications or in interviews.

Contact Joyce & Bittner to see if your case can be sealed or expunged.

Special Rules For Minor Offenses

Special rules apply for summary offense convictions, which are minor criminal offenses. Convictions for summary offenses may be expunged if there have been no subsequent charges or arrests in the five years following the summary conviction. Removing summary convictions from your history can be critical — certain summary offenses, such as retail theft, can disqualify you from some employers, for example banks. Charges such as public intoxication, underage drinking or disorderly conduct may cause an employer such as a school district to reject you.

Seeking A Pardon Of Your Conviction

For a conviction that cannot be expunged or sealed, help may be available in a process of seeking a pardon from the governor. This is a difficult and lengthy process, but it can be critically important as a possibility for some individuals. Our legal team can evaluate and guide the appropriate candidates through the legal system, maximizing the chances of gaining the extraordinary relief of having a criminal conviction pardoned.

Your Record Matters, We Can Help

If you are looking for more information on expungement laws, or if you are looking to have charges cleared, contact our team now for a free consultation. You can call at 412-557-7931 or send an email.