Sealing & Expungement of Criminal Records | Coral Gables Attorney

Sealing & Expungement of Criminal Records in Coral Gables

A criminal record can have long-lasting effects on your life, impacting employment opportunities and personal relationships. Shirazi & D’Escoubet is here to help you clean up your criminal record through the processes of sealing and expungement. If you’ve been arrested or convicted of a DUI or other criminal offenses, including felonies, we can guide you through the steps to potentially erase or seal your record.

Understanding Record Sealing and Expungement

In Florida, sealing and expungement are distinct legal processes:

• Sealing: If you were arrested, pled guilty or no contest, or were found guilty with adjudication withheld, you may be eligible to apply for sealing. Sealing a record means that it remains confidential to the public. Certain government agencies may still have access to sealed records.
• Expungement: If your charges were dismissed by the judge or dropped by the state without proceeding to trial, you can apply for expungement. Expungement removes the record from public access entirely, and you can legally answer “NO” when asked if you have a criminal record. Expunged records are accessible only to certain government agencies with a signed court order.

Eligibility for Sealing and Expungement

Convictions: Convictions cannot be sealed or expunged. However, cases with a withheld adjudication may be eligible for sealing.

Dismissals and Acquittals: Only cases that ended in a full dismissal or not-guilty verdict can be expunged.

Probation Compliance: Individuals who have successfully completed their probation or criminal sentence without incident may qualify for sealing.

Why Choose Shirazi & D’Escoubet?

Shirazi & D’Escoubet has extensive experience with the sealing and expungement processes. With a deep understanding of local court procedures and a commitment to the Coral Gables community, we can help you navigate the complexities of cleaning up your criminal record.

As a former Felony Division Chief for the Miami-Dade County State Attorney and with nearly eight years as an Assistant State Attorney, Jean-Michel D’Escoubet brings valuable expertise to each case. We are dedicated to providing the guidance you need to achieve a clean record.