WHAT IS EXPUNGEMENT? AND WILL IT HELP ME?
Starting in January of 2020, New Mexico enacted a new expungement law, which some have called the most liberal expungement law of any state in the U.S. Individuals, who have been arrested or convicted of certain felonies and misdemeanors, are now able to seal their public records. Once expungement has been granted by the court, the new law states, “the proceedings shall be treated as if they never occurred.”
New Mexicans are now able to move past certain difficult times in their lives if they meet certain criteria. The effect is that many New Mexicans will now be able to get better jobs, seek housing, secure loans, apply for occupational licenses, and generally free themselves from the stigma as being labeled a ‘criminal’. These aren’t the only effects – the American Bar Association estimates there are 48,000 ways a person can be affected by a criminal record in the U.S.
The effect will boost the economy of thousands of households, as the New Mexico State Department of Public Safety estimates around 600,000 of its records would be subject to expungement. Employment and promotions that weren’t available to a client are now possible though the sealing of court records and police reports.
Prior to the expungement law, employers were able to view anybody’s criminal record through a New Mexico Court’s online case lookup system: https://caselookup.nmcourts.gov/caselookup/app. For no cost, employers would be able to look into an applicant’s prior criminal history, regardless of whether there was a conviction or now. In that way, a person might be turned down for a job, based solely on an accusation, which was not proven in a court of law.
It’s not only dismissed cases that can be expunged. Even cases in which a person pled guilty may be eligible to have their misdemeanor or felony charges expunged.
To find out if any charges in your past are eligible for expungement, contact us today, for a free case evaluation.
