![]() ![]() When a record is shielded or sealed, it becomes inaccessible to members of the public both physically and electronically. What Effect Does Expungement, Sealing, or Shielding Have on My Record? Sealing requests are very seldom granted. After filing it, you will be asked to come to a hearing before a judge to explain why your motion should be granted the judge then makes the decision. Expungement and shielding requests are granted more often than not.Ī motion to seal has its own form. You simply file the proper form, and the decision is made by a clerk of the court based on that form. What is the Process to Expunge, Seal, or Shield My Record?Ī request to expunge or shield is fairly straightforward. If, for example, you filed for divorce, you can request to seal that court record because it contains your personal financial information. Sealing is the catch-all category that enables you, as a party to a criminal or civil case, to make all or part of your court record inaccessible to the public. According to the new law, however, the first conviction remains eligible as long as the second conviction is also eligible for shielding. For example, under the old law, a conviction originally eligible for shielding would become ineligible if the person is subsequently convicted of another crime. There are several nuances in determining whether your conviction is eligible for shielding. Shielding is most often, but not exclusively, used for Peace Orders and Protective Orders, which are civil cases.Ī new law that went into effect October 1, 2015, now allows shielding convictions for 12 specific crimes, including driving without a license and disturbing the peace. (See Criminal Procedure Article § 10-105 ) Shielding Now anyone previously convicted of this crime is eligible for an expungement.Ī few convictions for minor crimes are eligible for expungement, such as convictions for loitering or riding public transportation without paying the fare. ![]() For example, Maryland recently decriminalized possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana. a charge is postponed with a “stet,” orĪ recent change in the law allows for the expungement of convictions that were based on acts that are no longer a crime.a person is acquitted (found not guilty),.an arrest that does not result in the filing of charges,.A criminal record is generally eligible for expungement if it did not result in a conviction. ExpungementĪn expungement is only available in criminal cases. Thus, shielding, sealing, and expungement are ways to clean up your record when something other than a criminal conviction occurred. In general, a criminal conviction cannot be removed from your record! There are very few exceptions to this rule, and the convictions that are eligible are specifically listed in the statutes. Add to that the fact that what happens in practice is not exactly what’s written in the law, and the process of cleaning up your record can become quite daunting. The laws related to these methods are quite complicated, and there are additional laws and amendments that went into effect on October 1, 2015. There are several ways to remove data from your court records in Maryland: they are shielding, sealing, and expungement. ![]()
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