If you were arrested or convicted of a DUI, it’s important that you know how to get it expunged. A DUI conviction can cause significant damage to your life and career. In order to be eligible for expungement, you need a DUI lawyer Clifton Illinois to help get your charges dismissed. The MacNeil Firm will work tirelessly to secure a victory for you. Call today at (708) 218-0947 or (708) 218-0947 for a consultation.
In Illinois it is very difficult to get a DUI record expunged. In fact, in the vast majority of cases, the conviction will stay on your record. That means that when people, such as employers or university admissions officers, do a background check, the DUI will appear. You run the risk of not being able to get a job, rent an apartment, or get into a university or college.
What Is Expungement?
Expungement is a legal process that allows you to have your criminal record sealed. Only some people are eligible for criminal record expungement. Expungement erases your record, like nothing ever happened. The only way to get DUI-related incidents removed from your record is if: you were arrested but never actually charged with a crime, you were found not guilty of DUI, or if your case was dismissed.
You can also apply for a pardon, which overturns a conviction and removes it from your criminal record. The only way to get a pardon is to ask the governor of the state to give you one. However, pardons are exceptionally rare.
The state of Illinois takes drunk driving criminal charges seriously and has a zero tolerance policy for drunken driving convictions. Thus, if you’re convicted of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, that DUI conviction will remain on your record for life. It is important to have an experienced DUI lawyer Clifton Illinois on your side to help you pursue the best course of action for your case.
What Is Sealing?
The Criminal Identification Act allows you to seal a criminal record. This means your criminal record will still exist, but access to it is restricted by a required court order. So, the public has no access to your criminal, and can only access it through a court order from a judge. Thus, in a felony situation where you can’t expunge a drunk driving conviction, you can look at sealing your record as an alternative.
If you were arrested for DUI in Chicago or elsewhere in Illinois, but your arrest never led to a conviction, you may seal your record. The catch here is that you must not have been convicted of DUI. Otherwise, you are ineligible for criminal record sealing.
Should I Hire a DUI Lawyer Clifton Illinois?
If you have been convicted of a DUI, there may be a way to get your record expunged. However, it can be complicated, time consuming and expensive so it’s best to hire an experienced lawyer who knows the process and how to navigate the system.
While there are many good DUI and criminal defense lawyers, the MacNeil firm is distinguished by our personal service. We make every effort to exceed our client’s expectations during this stressful time after an arrest.
When you’ve been accused of a DUI, it can be tough to overcome your criminal record. It can affect your future for years after your case, so fighting back can help you get your life back. You’ll need to know the logistics of how to get a DUI off your record in Illinois and our experienced DUI lawyer Clifton Illinois is here to help.
Contact The MacNeil Firm today for a free consultation
A DUI, or driving under the influence, is an offense that you can be charged with if your blood alcohol content is above .08%. This means that if you are pulled over and suspected of driving while intoxicated, law enforcement may ask you to undergo field sobriety tests, such as walking a straight line or reciting from memory the alphabet backwards. If they think that these tests reveal clues about your intoxication levels (for example, if they think that you were intoxicated), then they may arrest and charge you with drunk driving.
If this happens to you, it’s important for both legal reasons and personal ones that we understand how best to get our DUIs expunged from public record so we don’t have any problems moving forward in life. The process can be complicated, but if your case was dismissed or you were found not guilty, expungement is a possibility. Hiring a DUI lawyer Clifton Illinois will likely be necessary in order to get a DUI expungement done properly. Contact us today to get a positive outcome for your case.
