Will my juvenile record be automatically expunged?
Many people have the mistaken belief that their juvenile record is expunged when they reach the age of 18. While juvenile records are not available to the general public, your record is not automatically wiped clean at the age of 18, and records of charges, adjudications and dispositions can be maintained and viewed by law enforcement, court officials, and others with authorization. Therefore, you may want to apply for an expungement of your juvenile record if eligible.
What is an expungement? If granted by the court, it means that the records related to the charges will be destroyed and your record would be cleared. This can include police reports, charging documents, and the probation department’s file. Essentially, there would be no permanent record that you had been to court or that you had even been charged in the case. This can be vitally important as you apply for college admission, student loans, enlistment in the military, a professional license, or employment.
If you have been to court on a juvenile delinquency matter in Pennsylvania, you may be eligible to have the juvenile records of the charges, arrest and court disposition expunged. The answer to the question of whether you are entitled to an expungement, and when you may receive it, will depend on the disposition of any juvenile charges that were brought against you.[1]
Juvenile Record
If the charges resulted in an Informal Adjustment, you are eligible to apply for an expungement six months after successful completion of the conditions of the agreement, as long as you have no juvenile or adult charges pending.
If the charges resulted in a Consent Decree, you are eligible to apply for an expungement six months following final discharge from the program, as long as you have no juvenile or adult charges pending.
If the charges resulted in a Conviction for a Summary Offense (other than underage drinking), you are eligible to apply for an expungement upon reaching the age of 18, if at least six months have passed since you completed the terms and conditions of the sentence you received. You must also have no juvenile record adjudications or adult convictions, and must not have any pending charges.
If the charges resulted in a Conviction for Underage Drinking, you are entitled to apply for an expungement upon reaching the age of 18, if at least six months have passed since you completed the terms and conditions of the sentence you received, including the resulting license suspension. Your expungement would include criminal history information and the PaDOT record of your suspension.
If the charges resulted in an Adjudication of Delinquency for an offense which would be classified as a crime if committed by an adult[2], you are entitled to apply for an expungement five years after the final discharge from any disposition of your charges, as long as you have had no further adjudications or convictions, and no charges are pending.
Finally, even if you are not otherwise eligible for an expungement of your juvenile record, the District Attorney in the county of your adjudication could consent to an expungement, subject to the court’s consideration.
It is definitely in your best interest to obtain an expungement if you are entitled to one. The experienced criminal attorneys at the Mazza Law Group can help you determine if you are eligible to have your juvenile record expunged. We can start the process for you right away. Don’t wait until you are applying for a job or a student loan, call now!
[2] Some sex offenses are not eligible for expungement if they were committed after the age of fourteen.
Will my juvenile record be automatically expunged? was last modified: February 25th, 2016 by Helen Stolinas