Is there any benefit to expunging a minor criminal case such as possession of marijuana or public intoxication that has been dismissed pursuant to a diversion agreement?

It is always in your best interests to expunge your dismissed criminal case. When you are charged with a crime, a public record is made that shows the criminal charge and a summary of all court proceedings. As a result, anyone can type in your name in the on-line court records and see the information about your case. We have business clients that call us to check court records regarding prospective employees or tenants. What we discovered in these public record searches probably cost some individuals a job or a lease.

Once you expunge the dismissed case, it will be removed from the public record and the on-line docket so it will not be discoverable by potential employers, landlords, etc. Expunging a dismissed case does not prevent an expungement of a criminal conviction at a later time. Therefore, not expunging a dismissed criminal case is always a bad idea.

If you have any kind of criminal record, you should immediately hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer such as Steven Knecht to help you expunge your record.