Ohio Misdemeanor Bond Forfeiture Expungement and Sealing of Record

What is a Bond Forfeiture?

Bail Forfeiture, also known as Bond Forfeiture, is a legal process that is used sometimes to resolve Misdemeanor Criminal Cases in Ohio courts.  Typically, a Bond / Bail forfeiture involves a person who is arrested for a misdemeanor charge and must appear before a court.  The defense attorney for the person charged would work out an agreement with the prosecutor so his client is not convicted of the charge but receives a bail/bond forfeiture instead.  If the person has posted bail or bond when they were arrested, the agreement would require the person to forfeit their bail/bond and the case would be terminated without further proceedings.  If the person had not posted a bond when they were arrested, then the agreement may require them to post an amount of money for bond/bail and that amount would be forfeited in exchange for their case being terminated.

Bond Forfeitures / Bail Forfeitures Leave a Criminal Record

A Bond Forfeiture or Bail Forfeiture in a misdemeanor case leaves a permanent criminal record.  Even though not it is not a criminal conviction, the original record of your arrest or charges filed against you will stay on the public record for anyone to see, which is easy to find these days on the internet with a couple of clicks of the mouse.  When you apply for jobs, apartments, licenses, student loans, financing for a house, the people who review your application may review your criminal record related to the Bail / Bond Forfeiture.  Expungement of the Bond / Bail Forfeiture can remove the cloud of suspicion resulting from these records.

Bail / Bond Forfeiture can be expunged and sealed in Ohio

O.R.C. 2953.32 provides that Bail Forfeitures / Bond Forfeitures can be expunged and sealed under the Ohio Expungement and Sealing Law.  A person must wait one year after the Bond / Bail forfeiture was completed before they may file the motion to expunge the record with the court.  Further, the person must prove to the court that satisfy all the requirements under and Expungement Statute and persuade the court that their interest in having the record expunged outweighs any interest in the government in maintaining the record.  The court will set the expungement case for hearing and the prosecutor may file objections.  Additional pleadings, oral arguments, or entries may be required by the court.  To assure success, it is advisable to have an experienced Ohio expungement attorney represent you.

Ohio Expungement and Record Sealing Attorney – Contact us for a FREE CONSULTATION

Our law firm has been in business in central Ohio since 1988.  Our law firm emphasizes expungement and sealing of criminal records in Ohio.  As trial attorneys and former prosecutors, we have the knowledge and experience to have your criminal record sealed.  We handle cases in all 88 counties of Ohio.

Contact our Ohio law firm for a confidential and Free Consultation. Sealing a record of a criminal conviction is an excellent way to put the past behind, provides a fresh start.