Criminal or arrest records can interfere with nearly every aspect of a person's life. this is especially the case for individuals whose employment depends on state approval. Individuals who have jobs as educators or teachers may have their livelihood thrown into disarray if they have criminal records come to light. In addition, having criminal records can preclude someone from even being able to have a job in education at all.
How Can Criminal Records Affect My Ability To Teach?
Much of the time, for any employment field, criminal records can get in a person's way during the application process. For jobs in education, at any level, criminal records can often mean a person's application goes straight to the rejection pile. Background checks for jobs in education are very strict and will pull up even arrest records. In addition to this, most education jobs require a person to be certified by the state in order to maintain or apply for jobs in this field. State certification often relies on checking for prior arrests and criminal records, and anyone with prior records may be ineligible to teach.
What Solutions Are Available To Me?
Pennsylvania law allows individuals to clear their names of older criminal or arrest records. A person seeking a job in education can clear their prior records through expungement or by record sealing. Expungements are used for a majority of records, while record sealing is reserved for more serious criminal records. Both of these motions, however, can prevent a person's records from appearing on background checks. This is of utmost importance for anyone seeking to hold a job in education, as prior records may disqualify a person for eligibility to teach.
Pennsylvania Expungement Attorney
Pennsylvania offers a number of options for individuals to clear their names within the state. When a person wishes to file for record sealing or expungement, they must first clear the state's requirements. Once this is done, they may file for their desired form of relief. The form depends on what the initial charges or arrests were for. When it comes time for making a filing for expungement or record sealing, an individual must begin at the Court of Common Pleas where the initial offense occurred. While filing for these motions can be done without the aid of an attorney, these processes can be complex and difficult for someone who is unfamiliar with them. In addition to this, due to the busy nature of the court, and high volumes of cases, court employees may not be able to provide adequate guidance for a person seeking to file. Failure to make a filing properly can result in delay and frustration. An attorney can guide a person through the filing process, and prevent any errors, helping them get their life back on track sooner.
If you or a loved one is seeking an expungement in Pennsylvania, contact attorney Joseph D. Lento today.
