How is a criminal record expunged in New York?
A criminal record can severely affect a person’s rights, including the ability to obtain employment, hold a public office, exercise voting rights, enjoy full child custody rights, serve on a jury, or be a member of the military. To escape from that past, the previously convicted person must expunge, or clear, his or her criminal record. Sometimes this is described as “sealing” or “destroying” the records. New York law permits expungement of arrest records when the charges against the arrested persons are not proved. In addition, a convicted person may be eligible for a certificate of relief from disabilities under New York law, depending upon the nature of his or her conviction. After this process, the past blemished record of a person will be cleared and the person will be restored to his original position, as if the person had not committed any offense.
