Music. Hi, this is Mike Haber. Thank you for asking me what's the difference between sealing and expungement. Before I explain the differences, I'm gonna tell you what they have in common first. Both secret the facts and circumstances of your case from the public record and then they hide them from public view. And second, neither will remove the fact that you were arrested or charged or prosecuted from any private record. This is going to include the internet. That said, the biggest difference between the two is what happens to the public record. Remember, I just said that both sealing and expungement secret the facts and circumstances of your case from the public view. So imagine your case is visible to the public in the form of a paper file. In the case of sealing, that file would be put inside of a manila envelope, taped shut, and could only be opened by way of a court order. In the case of expungement, after the file was put into the manila envelope, the envelope would be set on fire and then completely destroyed. Sealing is available in a non-disqualified case where you've got a withheld adjudication. Expungement is available in a case which was dismissed, null Pross, no action, or where you were acquitted. And in Florida, you can only seal or expunge one eligible, non-disqualified offense in your lifetime. That said, it probably doesn't matter where you were arrested, what you were arrested for, what the final disposition of the case was, or whether or not you ultimately seal or expunge. This is the Internet age. Nothing is private. Nothing is sacred. Nothing is truly hidden from public scrutiny. So once the case hits the net, unfortunately, that cat is never gonna get put back inside of...
Award-winning PDF software
Video instructions and help with filling out and completing Form 2220 Defined
