A Judge Cannot Deny Your Request to Seal Your Record Simply Because Adjudication was Withheld

           In the case of Anderson v. State of Florida, a judge denied Mr. Anderson's petition to seal his criminal record because he had already received a "break" from the criminal-justice system when adjudication was withheld in his case and when he was allowed to successfully terminate his probation early.  Anderson appealed.  An article that I wrote on my website Florida Criminal Records:  Frequently Asked Questions looks at why a court of appeals decided that Anderson's petition should have been granted.

What is an Administrative Expunction?

          Sometimes a person will be arrested, yet the case never actually goes to court either because the police do not file the case with the State Attorney’s Office or because the State Attorney’s Office decides not to prosecute the case. When that happens, there is a procedure whereby an individual can request that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement administratively expunge the arrest record.  That procedure is discussed in my article entitled "How to Get Your Criminal Record Administratively Expunged."