Whenever you are taken you into custody by the police, an arrest record is created. It is a simple fact. And, just like an unwanted tattoo, an arrest record doesn’t go away unless you do something to remove it. Take the case of Ben, a college student. Ben got a summer internship with a financial services company. As is routine in this industry, Ben underwent a fingerprint criminal background check. His prints were sent to the FBI.
Read MoreAs of January 1, 2015, certain juvenile records will be automatically expunged by the Illinois State Police (ISP). This is a good news for teenagers who, at some point, will visit the police station -- and not on a school field trip. The new law acknowledges a sad truth: even a juvenile record can upend someone's job prospects years later.
Read MoreHow to expunge an arrest / criminal record in Illinois. Earlier this year I wrote about Illinois’ Ban-the-Box Law, which is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2015. I’d like to point out a few things I did not mention. First, the law includes a broad exception for employers who are prohibited under federal or state law from hiring someone who has committed certain criminal offenses. This exception covers school districts, law enforcement agencies, and healthcare providers, to name a few. Thus, if you are looking for work in these job sectors you will be asked to disclose your criminal history on a job application.
Read MoreExpungement Lawyers. The New York Times’ Ethicist columnist (“The Right to Remain Silent,” Sept. 8, 2013) recently was asked by a Vermont resident named Jim if it would be ethical to answer “no” to a prospective employer’s query about having an arrest record if he’d been arrested but never formally charged with a crime?
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