DUI Arrest Records in Anne Arundel County
The public availability of a DUI arrest record in Anne Arundel county can make a significant difference in how an individual is affected by their arrest. A public arrest record can negatively impact a person’s life. If you are facing a DUI arrest, an Anne Arundel County DUI lawyer can help protect you against an arrest record and it’s potential consequences.
All pending cases in the State of Maryland are posted on a website called the Maryland Judiciary Case Search, a publicly searchable database for all open and many closed cases. The record of an arrest in a pending action will be available for people in Anne Arundel County if they just do a simple web search.
The records are kept on the database of the Maryland Judiciary Case Search website.
Consequences of Having a Public Arrest Record
The consequences of having a public arrest record can vary from person to person, depending on what they do for a living and their individual situation. If someone has a driving job or they are looking to get a driving job, having an arrest record for DUI in Anne Arundel can be extremely significant. There are other situations in which having a record of arrest will not necessarily have a large impact on an individual’s life. However, there are situations where simply having an arrest, regardless of a conviction, can have a huge impact.
Generally speaking, mugshots are not included in Case Search. The information provided on the database is not pictures, but text notes.
Options for Dealing With an Arrest Record in Anne Arundel County
Depending on the outcome of a person’s case, their arrest may be expunged, which erases the entry on Case Search. If their case is expunged, it means the arrest is treated as though it never happened. However, that is not possible in every case. For example, the case for a DUI needs to be either dismissed or placed under Stet Docket, which means the case is indefinitely postponed. Having a Probation Before Judgment (PBJ) will not allow someone to expunge their arrest for a DUI in Anne Arundel County, unlike some other criminal cases. An Anne Arundel County DUI lawyer will know what options are available and worth considering when dealing with a DUI arrest record in Anne Arundel County.
Having the Records Sealed
To have these records sealed, an individual would need to apply to expunge the record with the Court. There is a process involved, depending on the timing of the outcome of the case. Also, they may or may not have to sign a Waiver of Rights form, in which they agree not to sue Law Enforcement for their arrest.
Expungement
Expungement is significantly more common than record sealing. Records are sealed for juveniles, and juvenile DUIs are fairly uncommon, making these cases exceptions to the rule. It is also possible to seal a record in other very rare situations, but expungement is most often the method used to clear an arrest record for a DUI in Anne Arundel County.
Public Arrest Record After a DUI Acquittal
Unless the record is expunged, someone’s arrest record will still be available to the public, even if they are acquitted of their DUI. However, if they are acquitted of the DUI, the expungement process is completely free, simply by filing documentation with the Court. As a matter of course, some attorneys immediately file expungement paperwork for their clients when they receive an acquittal.