Attorney Keisha A. Garner Volunteers at Criminal Expungement Event

On November 21, 2015, Attorney Garner assisted members of the community to expunge and/or shield cases from their criminal records. An expungement is the removal of a criminal record from court and police records. Shielding keeps some or all of the information in a case private from public inspection.

Even if the charges were dropped, postponed, or you were found not guilty or received a probation before judgment, the arrest record and charges remain visible on the public record, which can be seen by prospective employers and used in making employment decisions.

On October 1, 2015, a new Maryland law went into effect that made new crimes expungeable or now able to be shielded from public record.  This new law helps many people facing barriers to housing and employment due to their criminal records because once a crime is expunged, you may legally answer “NO” to the question “Have you ever been charged with/convicted of a crime?”