Expungement and Sealing of Record of Theft Conviction
If you have a conviction for theft in Ohio, either felony or misdemeanor, it is critically important to obtain an Expungement and Sealing of your criminal record. This is because any type of theft charge is considered a crime of dishonesty. In legal terms, a conviction for any theft offense is considered a crime that reflects a person’s character for truthfulness and veracity. Charges for theft acts generally require proof of dishonesty as a specific ingredient of the offense, as in the charges of Theft under 2913.02 of the Ohio Revised Code.
As a result of simply having a conviction for theft, employers, landlords, colleges, financial institutions, or your neighbors will likely assume that you are dishonest. Today, background checks are regular practice in screening applications for jobs, apartments, universities, financial loans, etc… A person with a theft conviction will undoubtedly be denied employment and other opportunities.
As long as a person has a conviction for theft, their criminal record will be kept on databases compiled by local, state, or federal law enforcement agencies. Convictions for theft offenses are readily available to the public through public records, including: the State of Ohio databases, County Common Pleas Courts, County Courts, Municipal Court, Mayors Court, as well as the police departments for those jurisdictions. This means your theft conviction can be seen by anyone who has an Internet connection.
HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS
Ohio law allows people with convictions to have an expungement and sealing of their record of conviction. Sealing of record, also known as expungement, is legal process in Ohio which allows a person to have any and all public records to their prior criminal records cleared and there court file sealed. Expungement and sealing of records is a valuable tool to restore and protect your reputation, help your job search, obtain a student loan, or simply prevent a nosy neighbor from looking into your past.
Especially in cases of theft, which hold an implication of dishonesty, Expungement and Sealing of Record is important. For example, if a person was young and caught stealing an item from the department store that they couldn’t afford. They may not have thought it was a “big deal” at the time and they were eventually convicted of theft. Does that bad decision in their past mean that they are a bad person or that they’ll be forever dishonest? Certainly not! However, as long as that theft remains on their record, life will be harder and more difficult for their future. And criminal records never go away unless a legal action or expungement and sealing are filed and approved by the sentencing court. In this example, an Expungement and sealing of this person’s record would allow all public records of their conviction to disappear from public view. In their future, typically no record would show up in background checks and in most cases when this person is asked questions about criminal convictions, they could honestly answer “no.” (There are some exceptions for law enforcement and particular employers)
Don’t let a Theft Conviction ruin your life, your family, or your career future. You can’t afford to put off hiring an experienced Ohio expungement lawyer. Contact our law firm for a confidential and free expungement consultation to determine if you are eligible for a expungement and sealing of your theft conviction.
