Erased, Sealed, Blocked

In an article in the November 11, 2009, issue of The Wall Street Journal, page A1, “More Job Seekers Scramble To Erase Their Criminal Past”, Douglas Belkin states that job seekers are facing a difficult employment market and background checks reach deeper than ever into their past.

“Though the definition, terminology and methods of expungement vary by state, its general intent is to restore people to the legal status they enjoyed before a brush with the law – often giving them the right to answer ‘no’ when a prospective employer asked if they’ve been arrested or convicted. Most felonies, such as sexual assault or armed robberies, can’t be removed. But in many states, some lesser crimes can. After a successful appeal, official records may be shredded, erased, sealed or blocked from view by anyone except entities such as police or schools.”

I suggest that interested parties who may have had an encounter with the criminal justice system obtain a complete copy of this important article either in print or on the Wall Street Journal website: www.wsj.com.

Please comment in this blog if this information is helpful to you or someone you know.

Thanks! Glyn