Mississippi Expungements Attorneys

What is Expungement?

Expungement is the legal process of clearing or erasing a criminal record from public view.

If you’ve been arrested or convicted of a crime in Mississippi, those events are added to your permanent criminal record. Expungement offers you a chance to essentially wipe the slate clean.

When granted, everything connected to your arrest, court proceedings, and sentence is removed from public records.

The effect? When a potential employer, landlord, or school conducts a standard background check, they won’t be able to see any of that information. In most cases, you won’t even have to disclose the information if asked about previous criminal records.

Everyone, whether a minor or adult, makes mistakes in life. Sometimes, those mistakes involve being arrested and convicted of a crime. If you have an arrest or conviction record in Mississippi, it can create a variety of problems in your life—from limiting your job prospects to preventing you from renting an apartment.

To be successful in restoring your good name, you must follow an incredibly strict process. Only certain people are eligible for expungement, but the outcome makes it worth the effort.

If you have an arrest or conviction in Mississippi that you would like removed from your record, the Mississippi expungement attorneys at Tannehill Carmean can help you explore your legal options. With years of experience in criminal defense, we are standing by to protect your rights, your freedom, and your future. Contact our Oxford office today to schedule an initial consultation.

Expungement Attorneys: Your Guide to Clearing Your Record in Mississippi

If you haven’t been subject to a criminal background check before, you’re in the minority. In today’s world, nearly all potential employers, landlords, professional licensing boards, and even colleges conduct background checks.

Each time the police make an arrest, or you have to go to court, those events create a public record. These records are then forwarded to the state’s central records agency, the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Living with a criminal record in Mississippi can be challenging. Prior charges and convictions for misdemeanors such as Minor in Possession of Alcohol, Public Drunkenness, Drug Possession, and Possession of False Identification can cause you not to get a job, an apartment, a certification, or a place at the school of your choice.

Your life and future shouldn’t be limited by a single mistake. If you’re running into issues because of your criminal record or want to avoid these types of frustrations in the future, you need to speak with an attorney who understands the criminal record expungement process in this state.

The Benefits of Expungement for Your Future

As soon as a person is charged with or convicted of a crime, those events are added to their criminal record. In some cases, a person might be given a chance to get a fresh start with a clean record.

Expungement is the process in which everything that is connected to your arrest, court proceedings, and sentence is erased or removed from the public view. So, when a potential employer, lender, landlord, or academic institution does a background check, they won’t be able to see any of that information.

After an expungement, if you are asked about previous criminal records, you won’t have to disclose the information in most cases. However, if you apply for the military, a law enforcement position, or a professional license, you will still have to fully disclose all previous convictions.

Am I Eligible? A Mississippi Expungement Attorney Explains the Requirements

Mississippi’s expungement laws are specific, and eligibility depends on the type of charge, its outcome, and your criminal history. You owe it to yourself to investigate the possibility of clearing your record, but it is important to know the rules.

Situations Generally Eligible for Expungement:

• First-Offense Misdemeanors: Any first-offense misdemeanor conviction (excluding traffic tickets). This includes a first-offense DUI (with specific requirements).
• Arrests Without Conviction: Any case where charges were dismissed, dropped, non-adjudicated, remanded, or resulted in a “Not Guilty” verdict.
• Specific Felony Convictions: One (1) single, non-violent felony conviction is eligible. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Felony shoplifting
  • Malicious mischief
  • Larceny
  • False pretense
  • Simple possession of a controlled substance or paraphernalia
  • Bad checks
• Juvenile Records: Most juvenile offenses are eligible, with the exception of certain violent crimes and convictions requiring sex offender registration.

Felony Convictions NOT Eligible for Expungement in Mississippi:

A person is eligible for only one (1) felony expungement in a lifetime, and the following felony crimes are explicitly excluded under Mississippi law:

• Crimes of Violence (e.g., Aggravated Assault, Robbery, Kidnapping, Manslaughter)
• Arson, First Degree
• Trafficking in Controlled Substances
• Third, Fourth, or Subsequent DUI offenses
• Felon in Possession of a Firearm
• Failure to Register as a Sex Offender
• Embezzlement
• Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation of a Vulnerable Person

Note from your Expungement Lawyer: To petition for a felony expungement, you must also have paid all criminal fines, court costs, and restitution imposed in the sentence of conviction.

Hiring a Lawyer to Expunge Criminal Record: Our 5-Step Process

The journey to a clean slate is intricate. When you hire the Mississippi expungement attorneys at Tannehill Carmean, we handle the complex legal steps to ensure your case has the highest chance of success:

1. Eligibility and Document Review: We meticulously review your entire criminal record to confirm eligibility, identify the correct court/jurisdiction, and gather all required documents (charging document, sentencing order, proof of discharge, zero-balance sheet).
2. Drafting and Petition Filing: We prepare and file the legal Petition for Expungement in the correct court (Justice, County, Circuit, or Municipal) where your conviction occurred.
3. Serving the State: We ensure the Petition and required Order are served to the necessary parties, including the District Attorney’s Office and, in some felony cases, the Mississippi Criminal Information Center (MCIC).
4. Court Hearing & Advocacy: For Discretionary Expungements, a hearing is scheduled. We represent you to present the required evidence of your rehabilitation and argue why the expungement is in the best interest of society.
5. Notifying Agencies: Once the Judge signs the Order of Expungement, we ensure the Court and all relevant state agencies (including the FBI/NCIC via MCIC) are formally notified to seal/remove the records from public view.

Start Your Mississippi Expungement Journey With Tannehill Carmean

If your criminal record is having a negative impact on your life, you may be able to change your situation. The expungement attorneys at Tannehill Carmean  have extensive experience with the expungement process, and we’d be happy to explain your options.

But expungement of criminal records doesn’t happen overnight. The sooner you begin the process once you are eligible, the quicker it can be completed. Once our Mississippi expungement lawyers get approval from the court, our law firm will also make sure that all official agencies are notified of the status of your records.

If you’re interested in expungement of criminal records in Oxford or the Lafayette County area, call our office today at (662) 200-8730 or reach out to us online to schedule an initial consultation.