If you would like to get your criminal record expunged or sealed, please contact The Boston, Massachusetts criminal defense law firm of Altman & Altman LLP for your free consultation. Our Massachusetts criminal defense attorneys represent clients in the Greater Boston area and in other cities of Massachusetts in all areas of criminal law.

Expungement of Criminal Records:
The expungement of a criminal record involves the removal or destruction of that record. In Massachusetts, there are only a few situations where a judge can order the expungement of a criminal record:

• When a criminal defendant is charged and convicted under the "wrong identity," the innocent person's name can be expunged from the record.
• An abuse prevention order that was fraudulently acquired.
• A delinquency case that was dismissed because of insufficient evidence can be expunged from police records.

What You Cannot Expunge in Massachusetts:

• Criminal records governed by the sealing statute.
• Criminal or juvenile records under the maintenance of the probation department or the clerk's magistrate office.
• Abuse prevention orders that have been vacated.

Massachusetts Sealing Statute
Once you are arraigned for a crime in Massachusetts, you will automatically have a criminal record—even if the charges are thrown out, the case is dismissed, or a jury finds that you are "not guilty." Your criminal offender record information ("CORI") is easily accessible to anyone who needs to access this information, including employers, schools, professional organizations, and housing authorities.

Massachusetts has a sealing statue that allows for certain criminal records to be sealed so that they can no longer be accessed through the general records. This will prevent anyone who doesn't work for the criminal justice system from seeing that you ever had a criminal record.

If You Were Convicted for a Crime
Massachusetts has some of the strictest sealing statutes in the United States when it comes to sealing the criminal record of a person convicted for a crime. Massachusetts G.L.c. 276 § 100A allows for a record of criminal conviction to be sealed after 10-15 years of completion of sentence, while Massachusetts G.L.c. 276, § 100B allows juveniles to seal their criminal conviction record after three years. No other offenses can be committed during these time periods. Criminal records involving sexual assault or weapons-related convictions cannot be sealed.

Having a criminal record can prevent you from being considered for certain job or education-related opportunities. It can also negatively affect the outcome of your child custody dispute.

You cannot get your record expunged or sealed without the help of an experienced Massachusetts criminal defense attorney. Contact us online or call (617) 492-3000 or—toll-free—(800) 481-6199 to request your free consultation with Altman & Altman LLP. We are available to our clients after hours and on weekends. Our Boston, Massachusetts criminal defense law firm represents clients in the Greater Boston area and throughout Massachusetts.