The incredible weight of a criminal charge can make it very difficult for anyone to try to move on from this unfortunate chapter in their life. They made a mistake and they want to learn from it — but they can’t because of the stigma they carry as a result of their criminal charge. The literal punishment from the offense can sometimes pale in comparison to the indirect consequences of the offense: an inability to retain or find a job, the loss of their driver’s license, and difficult finding a suitable place to live.
Drunk driving charges are just one example of crimes that leave the accused individual with a massive burden. So what can someone in this situation do? How do you get past your, well, past?
An expungement of your criminal record can be an incredibly helpful tool. DUI expungement isn’t guaranteed, and the person in question needs to follow the appropriate steps in order to complete the process. But what a successful expungement will do is seal your criminal record in most cases, thus freeing you from the potential discrimination of others who may see your criminal history and reject you for a job or apartment.
Now, it is important to note that an expungement doesn’t permanently get rid of your criminal history. There will still be a record that shows your DUI, and it will be unsealed in criminal cases that require proof of a prior criminal charge. Also, a DUI expungement will not rescind any suspension of your driver’s license or other restrictions on your license.