In the 21st century, the negative ramifications of a criminal conviction are numerous, touching just about every aspect of your life. Often, the fact that the conviction was for something relatively minor is inconsequential. If you have a criminal conviction on your record you may be wondering “ Can I get a criminal conviction expunged in Tennessee? ” Until a couple of years ago, most criminal convictions in the State of Tennessee could not be expunged or otherwise removed from your permanent criminal history. Fortunately, Tennessee legislature has enacted Tennessee Code Annotated section 40-32-101(g), wich allows many misdemeanor and even some felony convictions to be expunged after 5 years.
There was a time, not all that long ago, when employers did not routinely conduct background checks on prospective employees. If they did conduct a background check they would often overlook minor convictions, choosing instead to focus on weeding out career criminals. Today, however, not only do most employers background check prospective employees but even the most minor conviction will frequently disqualify an applicant for a position with the employer. Of course, preventing the conviction in the first place is preferable; however, if the conviction cannot be prevented the next best thing is to remove the conviction from your record.
Tennessee now allows misdemeanor convictions, and even some felony convictions, to be expunged, or removed. Generally, the conviction must be for something non-violent and cannot be DUI related or a sex crime. In addition, the following criteria must be met before expungement will be considered:
- The individual must have no other convictions than the one(s) under review
- The individual must have completed all terms of his or her sentencing, paid all fines/ fees/ assessments.
- At least five years must have elapsed from the completion of the individual’s sentence
If you believe your criminal conviction qualifies for expungement it is in your best interest to consult with the experienced Tennessee criminal defense attorneys at Bennett, Michael & Hornsby. Contact the team today by calling 615-898-1560 to schedule your appointment.
To learn more, please download our free Tennessee Criminal Trial here.
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