Joe Reed & Associates, LLC Attorneys At Law
Montgomery, AL and Birmingham, AL
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Expungement Lawyers And Attorneys

If you have ever been arrested or charged with a crime – even if the charges were later dropped or you were ultimately acquitted – you have a criminal record. While you may not be affected by this criminal record on a day-to-day basis, chances are, when you apply for a job or other opportunities, this record will pop up, and you will have to answer some uncomfortable questions about it. In the worst cases, you may even lose your ability to get a job or miss other important opportunities because of your criminal record.

When you are ready to seek an expungement, you can trust our Montgomery and Birmingham expungement lawyer at Joe Reed & Associates, LLC, to help you get the results you need.

Despite this, however, the good news is that:

  • Many people in Alabama now have the chance to get their criminal records expunged.
  • Seeking an expungement can effectively wipe out your criminal record – making it appear as though no criminal record exists when background checks are run.
  • Our attorney, Joe Reed, can help you expunge your record and obtain a fresh start for your future.

Alabama Expungement Law: Who Qualifies For An Expungement?

On July 7, 2014, a new Alabama expungement law went into effect. According to this law, people who qualify for an expungement are those who:

  • Have been arrested for nonviolent felony and/or misdemeanor crimes
  • Have been charged with nonviolent felony and/or misdemeanor crimes
  • Have not been convicted of these charges 

If, however, a person has been arrested for, charged with or convicted of a violent crime, they are not eligible for expungement. Similarly, any crimes related to children cannot be expunged from a criminal record.

The Expungement Process: How To Seek An Expungement

For those who qualify for an expungement, the process will generally involve:

  • Filing a petition for expungement with the court
  • Attending a hearing at which a case for securing an expungement must be made. In these hearings, prosecutors will have the opportunity to challenge the expungement if they see fit to do so
  • Awaiting an official ruling from the judge presiding over the case

If the expungement is granted for a specific charge or case:

  • The court will issue an order to mandate that law enforcement agencies remove that charge or record from the individual’s criminal record.
  • The individual can legally answer “no” whenever they are asked about whether they have a criminal record in the future (unless there are other charges that were not expunged on their criminal record).

It’s also important to point out that:

  • The Alabama expungement law does not limit the number of times a person can seek an expungement. In other words, a person can seek an expungement for every applicable charge or issue on their criminal record.
  • The court will look at a person’s overall criminal history when deciding whether to grant an expungement (and may be less inclined to do so when, for instance, a person has an extensive criminal record).

Our Montgomery And Birmingham Expungement Attorney At Joe Reed & Associates, LLC

Are you ready to seek an expungement and get a fresh start? If so, contact the attorney Reed. He is ready to be an aggressive advocate for your rights and will work to help you get your criminal record expunged. For more than 25 years, he has been dedicated to the pursuit of justice in every case he has overseen. This has endowed him with the experience, dedication and knowledge of the law to make him consistently effective at helping our clients obtain the best possible outcomes to their important legal matters.

Contact Us

You are invited to attend an initial consultation to discuss your case and learn more about your rights. To set up this meeting today, call us at 334-834-2000, or email us using our contact form. Initial consultations are free in most cases, and evening and weekend appointments are available for your convenience.