A criminal record is a compilation of a person’s criminal history. This includes, how many times and on what charges a person has been arrested by which law enforcement agency. It also has other information including convictions, acquittals, charges pressed, charges dropped and parole or probation violation records, etc. In addition to above mentioned records, information about a person’s height, weight, eye and hair color, identifying marks, different names used by the person, different dates of birth, social security numbers used, fingerprint classification, race, and state and federal identification numbers are also provided in the list. This record is used by the judiciary to determine the eligibility for parole. In the United States, such lists are prepared by the state and federal law enforcement agencies. While cops and other law enforcement agencies use such records to identify and locate possible suspects in unsolved cases, potential employers also use such lists to determine a person’s character. A criminal record starts, when a person is arrested for the first in connection with a crime. A person can even have his/her record expunged by applying in a court. But, it ultimately depends on the judiciary whether to wipe out your record or not. However, in case of juvenile delinquents, his/her criminal record gets sealed once the child reaches 18. However, it might be kept opened if another crime has been committed. This article answers some of the most frequently asked questions on criminal records, their usefulness and laws associated with them. My son served a three years probation as he was charged with armed robbery. His attorney suggested a guilty plea. He was not aware of the robbery but just gave the main suspect a ride. Now he is not getting a job. How can I get his criminal record expunged? Generally, records with minor offenses and non-convictions can be expunged, provided charges are dropped. In your case, if your son has no role in the robbery other than giving the man a ride unknowingly, you can apply to the state for pardon. As far as the background checks are concerned, your son’s criminal record might still stand, but a pardon granted by the state will help him to get a job, because the potential employer would be under the impression that your son has changed and is trying to better himself. This apart, you should ask a criminal lawyer who could assist you to check your state law, whether there is certain protection to prevent employers discriminating against a person based on his/her criminal record. Not all states have this protection. Does an informant’s credibility with criminal record affect a case? Yes, in most cases, the informant’s criminal record is likely to affect the case. During the trial, the credibility of an informant/witness can be questioned by the defense with an attempt to disqualify the informant’s reliability and information provided by him/her if there exists a record. So, here the prosecutor will have to prepare a strong case against the defendant without entirely depending on the informant’s account. But as long as the arrest is concerned, the cops can depend on the piece of information provided by an informant with a record. Can a person with criminal history visit countries like Italy or France for 90 days on a tourist visa only with the passport or does he/she need other additional documents? Most of the European nations allow tourists with past criminal records to visit their countries. You can visit countries like England, France and Italy with a criminal record provided you have permission to leave the United States while on probation. How do I get my criminal record sealed in North Carolina? In the state of North Carolina, you cannot have your record sealed, but you can have it expunged if you qualify. You need to hire an attorney who would petition the court requesting expungement. An expunged record becomes inactive, but the information continues to be accessible to the law enforcement agencies or government officials. Procedures to have your criminal record expunged may vary from state to state. If you have any questions on this issue, you may ask a criminal lawyer who can assist you on this.
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