While a DUI conviction on your record may not exactly ruin your
life, it definitely will affect you adversely for a very long time.
Anything that requires a background check, like applying for a job,
school, or professional licenses, will reveal your DUI conviction.
Ideally, you would only be evaluated on your capability of doing your
job, but the stigma of a DUI conviction can be difficult to overcome.
However, in some states you may be eligible for a DUI expungement (or a
DUI vacation), which can be hugely beneficial to you. A DUI expungement seals your DUI conviction legally, which basically makes your criminal record seem like the conviction never happened. If you meet the eligibility requirements of your state, then you’ll
be allowed to withdraw your original guilty plea and enter a not guilty
plea, or if you originally pleaded not guilty the court will set aside
your guilty verdict. The court will then dismiss all accusations, and
you’ll be released from all penalties. All records for that conviction
are isolated and sealed from everyone (most of the public) except legal
courts and law enforcement. Records to be sealed include more than just
evidence of your conviction; they also include things like your arrest
report, complaints, processing records, photographs, and judicial
dockets. If your expungement is successful, you’re allowed to deny the
existence of that conviction on job, school, and other applications. If
that was the only conviction on your record, after expungement you can lawfully state that you haven’t been convicted of any crime.
One limitation of expungement is that it doesn't erase convictions that
are priors. For example, if you have your first DUI expunged, but
you're subsequently convicted of a second DUI, then you will be subject
to the full elevated penalties of a second DUI. The first conviction,
despite being expunged, still counts as a prior DUI. Before you engage the services of an attorney to petition for
expungement, you may first want to check whether you even meet your
state’s eligibility requirements for it. If you aren’t eligible for
expungement, then there’s little an attorney can do for you. States vary
on expungement eligibility. In general, here are the most common
requirements:How expungement works
Expungement eligibility
DUI Expungement
by Ethan P Meaney on Jun. 11, 2014
Summary
While a DUI conviction on your record may not exactly ruin your life, it definitely will affect you adversely for a very long time. However, in some states you may be eligible for a DUI expungement (or a DUI vacation), which can be hugely beneficial to you.
