I was arrested several times in Florida but was never convicted of a crime and didn't plead guilty, can I seal or expunge all the arrest records?: Fort Lauderdale Criminal Defense Attorney Explains
If you were arrested multiple times, you cannot get all of your Florida Criminal Records sealed or expunged. Unfortunately, with a few exceptions, you only get to seal or expunge one criminal record once in a lifetime in Florida.
Floridians are at a severe disadvantage, because Florida doesn’t honor the concept of “innocent until proven guilty.”
Let’s say you were arrested 5 separate times and charged with different crimes - even if a jury found you not guilty in every case, at least 4 of those arrests will remain on your public criminal record in Florida.
The moment you’re arrested in Florida you have a criminal history and a criminal record. The benefit of having your criminal record sealed or expunged in Florida is that your criminal history and criminal record will no longer be a public file, and could even be (more or less) “erased” from your record altogether.
That immediate criminal history is maintained by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. And any and all police, crime and arrest reports are public record - which means that the public has access to your criminal records.
But when you have your criminal record sealed or expunged in Florida, it is no longer a public record - which means that the general public can no longer see your criminal history and they have no right to see it.
The big misfortune in Florida is that a person can only petition ONCE in their lifetime to seal or expunge a criminal record. The only way that a court will allow for more than one sealing or expungement is if the court decides that an additional arrest or additional crime is directly related to the initial original arrest or crime.
CONCLUSION: Florida only Allows for Someone to Seal or Expunge ONE Arrest/ Crime from their Permanent History
If you’ve been arrested several times in Florida, no matter if you’re completely innocent or found innocent by a jury, you cannot get all your arrests off your criminal record. Florida, unfortunately, only allows a person to remove one crime / arrest from their permanent criminal history.
If you’re in the South Florida Tri-County Area and you think you may qualify for either sealing or expunging your Florida Criminal record, give our office a call to see if you qualify and if we can help you get your Florida Criminal record expunged.
Give us a call today to get help now. Schedule a FREE Consultation with our team:
- Fort Lauderdale: (754) 206-6200
- Sunrise: (754) 999-2499
- Boca Raton: (561) 880-8181