Massachusetts Criminal Record Sealing

After a person has been charged with a crime in Massachusetts, a notation of his/her arrest and charge is made within his/her criminal record. These notations appear as negative markers and indicate that the person has a criminal history. A person's criminal record will stay with him/her forever, which is why it is so important that it remains clear of criminal arrests and charges.

The reason a person should always want to have a clear criminal record is that his/her record is accessible to the general public. For example, if the person decided to apply for a job, his/her potential employer could access and review his/her criminal record. If there are charges or arrests noted within the record, the person could be denied the job opportunity. This same concept applies for housing, education facilities, and even when the person tries to obtain bank loans.

Under certain conditions the Court may allow a person to seal their record so that no one can see their prior offenses.

Unfortunately there is no way to expunge a record in Massachusetts as of 1/16/2012. I will update this page if there becomes a way to expunge a criminal record.

The Law Office of Patrick T. Donovan has represented clients who have wanted to seal their criminal records throughout the state of Massachusetts. At the Law Office of Patrick T. Donovan, we are committed to aggressively pursuing the best possible outcome for each and every one of our clients.