Philadelphia Criminal Defense Attorney Mark D. Hauser

Expungement is a process through which the legal record of a criminal conviction is "sealed," or erased in the eyes of the law, after the passage of a certain amount of time or the fulfillment of certain obligations. After expungement, a criminal conviction (and in some cases even an arrest) ordinarily need not be disclosed by the person convicted, and no arrest or conviction shows up if a potential employer, educational institution, or government agency conducts a background search of an individual's public records.

In some legal proceedings, such as during sentencing for any later crimes, an expunged conviction may be considered as proof of a "prior conviction."

The laws pertaining to expungement of DUI arrests and convictions vary from state to state, so interested persons should conduct additional research or talk to an experienced criminal defense attorney about eligibility for expungement, and the procedure followed in a specific locale.

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