Expungement

The Indiana Expungement statutes are complex and carry lots of caveats. To simplify them, you can start with an assumption that all criminal cases can be expunged, then you start carving out lots of exceptions. This article does not discuss the various waiting periods and other requirement necessary to get a case expunged, but rather the simple question of whether or not a particular conviction is ever expungable. Below is a table of offenses that…

Traditionally, under Indiana Law, even though your case was dismissed or you were acquitted at trial, you still need to petition the court for expungement to clear that case from your record. However, the Indiana Legislature recently enacted new law that provides for automatic expungement of certain records. If your case was filed after June 30, 2022, and did not result in a conviction for any reason, you are entitled to expungement 60 days after…

Many people spend the New Year’s holiday re-evaluating their lives. Questioning their life choices, diet, exercise routine, (marriages?) and everything else under the sun. They establish lofty goals that last a week and then sadly fizzle. According to DiscoverHappyHabits.com, after 1 week, 75% of people are still keeping up with their resolution — that means in only 7 days, ¼ of all people have failed. After two weeks, alas, 71%. After 1 month, 64%, and…

Many people believe that juvenile delinquency records are automatically sealed or expunged once an individual reaches the age of 18.  This is not the case in Indiana.  While some juvenile true findings (the juvenile equivalent of a criminal conviction) are automatically expunged after a certain time period, others remain on a delinquency record unless or until an expungement petition is granted. I.C. 31-39-8-3.5 orders juvenile delinquency courts to expunge all misdemeanors from an individual’s record…

Any person who has been arrested or convicted of a crime may want to have their criminal record expunged. Often, having a criminal record can cause difficulty in obtaining employment, housing, or certain types of licenses. There are a wide variety of reasons to seek expungement. Here at Banks and Brower, we help a lot of people expunge records, but your eligibility may vary depending on the nature of your criminal history. Not everyone is…

Going through the legal system as a juvenile can be a scary and have a lasting impact on the child and their family. However, there is good news, a juvenile true finding does not have to hang over a person’s head forever. Effective June 1, 2021, under Indiana Code 31-39-8-3.5 if a juvenile has reached the age of 19 or has been discharged from the juvenile court system (whichever is later), the court on its…

The expungement laws in Indiana went through a complete revitalization in July 2013 in what the state legislature deemed the “second chance law.” We have written several articles detailing the expungement process, timeline, and alternative DCS, CHINs, and protection order petitions. This article looks to specifically what happens once an expungement has been granted, timelines, and your rights when you moving forward post-expungement. What Happens After an Expungement is Granted? When a misdemeanor or low…

The Indiana legislature has once again expanded the expungement laws in the state and are now allowing individuals to petition to expunge protection orders pursuant to Indiana Code 34-26-7.5 et seq. First, a protection order is a tool that is used by the courts in an effort to protect an alleged victim of domestic or family violence, a sexual offense, or stalking. With the protection order, the court can order someone not to contact another…