One of my favorite movies is the 1993 film “Groundhog Day,"starring Bill Murray. I highly recommend it. Groundhog Day stars Bill Muray as an arrogant TV weather man who has been sent to Punxsutawney, PA to cover Groundhog Day.
After he completes the show, Bill Murray goes to bed and awakes to find the same day all over again. In fact, it happens several, if not hundreds of times- starting the day over. Murray little by little realizes that he can do some good while stuck in this "life loop."
Although that is in a movie, today we have an opportunity to make a fresh start. Most well meaning people make mistakes. Unfortunately, one minor mistake can follow you throughout your life as you prepare for school or a new job. Thankfully if you qualify, you can have a "do over" by way of an expungement.
Expungement allows a criminal conviction to be "sealed," or eliminated, after some time or completion of requirements, such as community service. If you obtain an expungement, you can honestly say "no" when asked if you have had any previous arrests or convictions. People with expungements of a criminal conviction and in some cases even an arrest ordinarily do not have to be disclosed by the person convicted. In fact, an arrest or conviction will not appear when a potential employer, for example, conducts a background search of an individual's public records.
With the exception of law enforcement persons, an expungement of an arrest or conviction record indicates that the records are sealed. The arrests or convictions are as if they had never happened.
Be mindful, however, that not all crimes are eligible for expungement. I know that in New Jersey, (since the rules for expungement vary from state to state) felony convictions or convictions involving sex offenses are not eligible. Usually, juvenile and misdemeanor convictions are most often subject to expungement.
