Does a Misdemeanor Stay on My Criminal Record?
A criminal record is permanent unless it is legally removed through an expungement or pardon. Once an entry is made on a person’s criminal record, that entry will stay on their official criminal record forever unless legal steps are taken to remove it. A criminal record does not expire or go away after the passage of time.
A National Crime Information Center (NCIC) check on an individual will reveal their full name, any alias, date of birth, social security number, sex, race, height, weight, eye color, hair color, place of birth, and address. The criminal history portion will show information related to the Arrest and the Court Disposition. A sample NCIC check will look like this:
ARREST
Date of arrest: 1/1/2020
Arrest agency: WVSP5800
CDR#: 12345
Charge: 1
Offense: Battery
Severity: Misdemeanor
Agency Case Number: 1234-5678
COURT DISPOSITION
Disposition date: 6/1/2020
Plea: Guilty
Finding: Convicted
Type: Misdemeanor
Sentence: 60 days
Fine: Assessed
In the above example, if the Battery charge was dismissed, then the person’s criminal record would still show the “Arrest” information, but under “Court Disposition,” it would state “Dismissed.”
A successful expungement will remove all entries on a person’s criminal record. Going back to the above example, if a person’s record was successfully expunged, then the NCIC check would state no records found.
At The Moore Law Firm, we have handled many expungements over the years. If you are interested in an expungement, give us a call to discuss your particular situation.
Looking for more information on misdemeanors? Reach out to The Moore Law Firm, PLLC by calling (304) 521-2451 today.