Sometimes it may seem like your past is inescapable and that it may serve as a roadblock in attaining future goals. This may especially be the reality for individuals with a criminal record or who have faced a criminal charge. Having a criminal record should not be a deterrent to pursuing aspirations, however. The law can actually work in your favor to help you work towards a new future and farther away from an old criminal conviction.

A new Ohio law is one legal tool that is paving the way for criminal defendants to a future that is not shaped by previous convictions. The law provides individuals with the ability to expunge their criminal records and also seal them. It is different from the old law in an important way because it allows individuals to expunge more than convictions. In particular, individuals can expunge one felony and one misdemeanor conviction on their record or two misdemeanors, so long as they are not for the same offense.

In light of these changes, there has been a significant increase in expungements. More people recognize the benefit of expunging convictions, like qualifying for more work, and are petitioning the court system under the new law. In Cuyahoga County alone, there have been already 569 expungements in the last four months, compared to the 1,094 expungements granted in 2012.

Although the new law provides significant benefits to individuals with criminal records, these benefits are not automatic. Someone in Ohio who wants a conviction expunged must formally petition the court. This usually requires filling out an application, paying a fee and waiting for a judge to review the criminal record. A hearing may even be required.

The process may seem tedious but it has great benefits in the end. Individuals who were once facing the long-term consequences of their convictions, like unemployment, can essentially overcome and erase these obstacles. Expungement is a powerful criminal defense tool but it should be fully understood before attempting to go through with the process.

Source: Cleveland.com, "People taking advantage of new expungement law in Cuyahoga County," Mark Gillispie, May 13, 2013