Expungement

Tennessee Expungement /Sealing/Dismissal Law Firm Located in Knoxville, TN

There are serious negative consequences to having a criminal arrest or prosecution on your record.  Employers are reluctant to hire persons with criminal records, schools are reluctant to admit students with criminal records, and even property managers are reluctant to rent to individuals who have been charged with or prosecuted for a crime, even when the charges are ultimately dismissed.  Fortunately, due to the passage of Tennessee’s new expungement law in 2012, there are now certain instances in which an individual who has been charged with and prosecuted for a criminal offense can have their records removed from court databases.  

Expungement refers to the process by which public records of a criminal prosecution are removed and destroyed form the court system.  Expungement in Tennessee is governed by Tenn. Code Ann. § 40–32–101, which provides in relevant part that:
All public records of a person who has been charged with a misdemeanor or a felony shall, upon petition by that person to the court having jurisdiction in the previous action, be removed and destroyed without cost to the person, if:         (i) The charge has been dismissed;         (ii) A no true bill was returned by a grand jury; or         (iii) The person was arrested and released without being charged.

Tennessee criminal defense attorneys who care about you and will fight for your rights.

What does this mean for you?  If you have been charged with a felony or misdemeanor and that charge was dismissed before it ever went to trial, you are eligible for expungement.  If you have been arrested for an offense but not charged, or if you have been charged but the grand jury did not indict, then you are eligible for expungement.  If your case went to trial and the jury returned a verdict of not guilty, then you are eligible for expungement.  If you were found guilty at trial but an appellate court later reversed the judgment and dismissed the charges, then you are eligible for expungement.  These are among the most common types of cases where expungement is available, but other examples include when an order of nollo prosequi has been entered in the case, certain juvenile matters, and upon the completion of a pretrial or judicial diversion program.  

If you have been charged with a crime in Tennessee dont hesitate contact a skilled criminal defense attorney today!

If you or someone you know has been accused of, charged with, or prosecuted for a criminal offense and you believe that expungement may be an available option, then you need the assistance of an experienced attorney who is knowledgeable on Tennessee’s expungement law.  The attorneys at The Law Office of James A.H. Bell, P.C. have been successfully handling criminal expungements in and around the Knoxville area for decades. Additionally, our in-house private investigator conducts an independent investigation into the facts of every new case. Put our experience to work for you, and call one of our knowledgeable attorneys located in Knoxville, TN to schedule a free consultation today.     

Contact us to schedule your free consultation.

Law Offices Of James J.H. Bell
6210 Highland Place Way Knoxville, TN 37919

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