Montgomery County DUI Arrest Records
Arrest records are public records, so if an individual is trying to seek out information about a person’s arrest, they can simply go to the court or police station and find out information about a person’s background and criminal history. If a mug shot was taken, that will be a part of the record. There is usually not a central database that goes through every single arrest record, but the online Maryland Case Search System can search a person’s history.
If you are concerned about your Montgomery County DUI arrest records, consider seeking out a qualified attorney for help. A knowledgeable lawyer could explain the consequences of a public arrest record and help you understand your legal options. You may have the ability to seal or expunge the record, and an attorney could help with this process.
Consequences of a Public Arrest Record
The consequences of having a public arrest record depend on the individual and what kind of life they are living. Obviously, if the person is going to be subjected to background checks on a regular basis, then those background checks might yield the arrest record, which could pose a problem for them. If somebody is in a type of career where they are not subject to background checks, they may have no consequence whatsoever by having an arrest record. It really depends on each individual and their life and career path, academic path, or license path they have chosen.
Options for Dealing With an Arrest Record
There is an option to deal with an arrest record by having it expunged. There are limitations on whether or not a record can be expunged. One should speak with an attorney in Montgomery County who understands the expungement process so that they can go through it together to make determinations about whether the matter qualifies for expungement or not.
Sealing Versus Expungement
There is not a tremendous amount of difference between record-sealing and expungement. A sealed record can be re-opened if somebody makes that request. An expungement is asking for their record to be effectively destroyed, but practically speaking, even an expunged record can be re-opened under certain circumstances and upon the request of certain individuals. The real issue is making sure that others and the public cannot view the record, and that is a process that they achieve either by sealing or expungement.
An individual should speak to an attorney who has experience dealing with records to understand the limitations of what can be sealed and what qualifies as a proper request to seal. There is usually a petition that can be filed in order to make something like that feasible. Speaking to an attorney will be the most appropriate way to make sure that something like that successfully takes place.
DUI Arrest Records After Acquittal
If someone is acquitted of a DUI, their arrest record will not remain public. Generally, any incarcerable charges that someone is acquitted of or has been dropped can be expunged from their record. Usually, those charges can be out of the court’s record system within about 8-10 weeks after filing a request for expungement. There are some third-party record-keeping organizations that have nothing to do with the court that do pick up these charges and sometimes keep a record of them. That, unfortunately, cannot be resolved by the expungement process, so individuals can try and reach out to those data search companies directly to see about removing the charges.
Ask an Attorney About DUI Arrest Records
If you are concerned about the effect Montgomery County DUI arrest records will have on you future, consider speaking with an experienced lawyer. The process of sealing or expunging a record usually involves a petition, and an attorney knows how to handle every step of the process. Contacting an attorney will be the most appropriate way to make sure that something like that successfully takes place.