An Expungement Is Your Golden Ticket

Episode 15:  This episode is the third chapter in a mini-series focusing on expungements.  Louisville criminal defense attorney Tim Denison has over 30 years of experience representing clients in Louisville and across Kentucky. Today, Tim discusses a number of questions about expungements. He explains why an expungement is your golden ticket.

If you missed them, click here to listen to Episode 13:  An Expungement Can Erase Your Criminal Record.  Click here to listen to Episode 14:  How to Get an Expungement.

Louisville Criminal Defense Attorney Tim Denison explains how an expungement is your golden ticket

Do Dropped or Dismissed Charges Need to be Expunged?

Tim explains that just because your charges were dropped or dismissed, they still exist on your record.  This includes the citation, the history of the case, the witness interviews, etc.  It’s a public record, so any potential employer can see it.  This could cause a serious problem, even though the charges were dropped.

A dismissal of your charges is only the first step. You still need to get them expunged from your record.  Without the expungement, you may be passed over for a promotion, unable to apply for a new job or prevented from participating in school-related activities with your child.

An Expungement Is Your Golden Ticket.

Even if you’re able to get a guilty plea expunged, once this is done, you can truthfully state, that it never happened.  This is the law in Kentucky.  It simply doesn’t exist.

Can Out-of-State Charges be Expunged?

If you were charged in Indiana, Ohio or another state, but live in Kentucky, can I get those charges expunged?  The answer is yes.  Tim regularly assists in getting expungements for charges in Indiana and Ohio.  However, he’s only licensed to practice in Kentucky, unless it’s in federal court.  As previously discussed, federal charges are ineligible for expungement.

Tim has a network of attorneys throughout many states.  Each of them has experience handling expungement cases.  While the state laws of another state may vary, they are typically very similar to Kentucky’s expungement laws, in terms of the process or wording.

What Does It Mean if a Charge is Voided and Sealed?

Remember, you are only eligible to have 1 felony charge expunged.  Maybe you’ve already done that or you want to “save” that option, for some reason.  Certain types of charges, most notably, drug charges, may be eligible to be voided and sealed.  This would apply to possession and other lesser drug charges, but not trafficking or more serious drug charges.

In Kentucky, if you’ve received treatment for a felony or misdemeanor charge, such as possession of cocaine, and you receive a clean bill of health from a treatment provider, you can submit that to the court and request that your conviction be voided and sealed.  There will be no record that it ever occurred.

This means the conviction will be set aside.  It’s different than a dismissal.  It’s similar to a diversion program and similar to an expungement.  Tim comments that in certain situations, you may want to go forward with the expungement process, itself.  It depends on the individual’s specific situation.

Trust Experience when It Comes to Your Future

Louisville criminal defense attorney Tim Denison has over 30 years of experience handling cases across Kentucky.  It’s important that you get advice from someone who is extremely familiar with Kentucky’s expungement laws, your eligibility and the best path for you and your future.  There are many nuances involved, which is why you may not want to pursue this on your own.

You want an attorney who knows the rules of the road, rather than another attorney who may focus in other areas of law and simply may not be as familiar with expungements.

Having charges expunged or voided can help to recreate yourself, if either is done properly.  There are many clients who don’t realize what a powerful tool an expungement can be for someone who wants to move forward.

The Day After Effect

Tim has successfully filed many expungements over the years.  At the outset, people are sometimes ashamed, frustrated or embarrassed.  They want to move forward from the past.

Tim enjoys this area of law because the end result is beneficial for the client and everyone’s happy.  It opens doors many thought they were permanently closed to them, because of a mistake or decision they made in the past.

An expungement enables you to move on with life and hold your head up.  Once again, it’s your golden ticket.

Need to Contact an Experienced Kentucky Expungement Attorney?

Tim’s office phone number is (502) 589-6916.  You can learn more via TimDenisonLaw.com.  Tim’s principal office is located at:  235 South 5th St., Third Floor, Louisville, KY 40202.

The information from this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not establish an attorney-client relationship.  Co-host Jim Ray is a non-attorney spokesperson.  This is an attorney advertisement.