Anyone have any experience with expungements? Vol. Rescinded Job Offer

[stick]

I recently applied for a job, and after scoring very well on the pre-employment exam, nailing the interview and being offered the job, I received a phone call saying that I wasn't going to be hired because of my "criminal" history. 
That criminal history is for two separate times of being charged with small possession of marijuana. The first happened in 2011 and I was placed on an "ARD" program, which consisted of a fine, community service, and a year of probation. Upon completion of all of that the record was to be expunged. I completed it in the end of March 2012. The other one happened more recently in mid April 2012 in a city much more lenient on weed charges, so all I was required to do was pay a one time fee and attend a class, after which that record was to be expunged as well. I wasn't aware that expungements take time, so I thought they'd be immediate upon completion of everything. Obviously this isn't the case and it's come back to bite me in the +%#. If it means anything, this all happened in Pennsylvania.

My question is, is there some way that I can get the expungements expedited so I can get these charges off of my record as soon as possible? Maybe hiring a lawyer? I desperately need this job and waiting for the expungements to run their course isn't really an option. Thanks in advance.

EDIT: Before you say "ask a lawyer", consider that I'm already strapped for cash, and consulting a lawyer only to be told that there's nothing they can do for me would only further deplete my bank account

. I KNOW that I can ask a lawyer, if that's what it comes down to. I made this thread to ask normal people if they've ever been in a situation similar to mine, and how they went about it.

 

[icyyyesr two3]

Maybe you should ask that lawyer you're considering.

 

[misterj]

well youre in for a surprise because expungements aren't free.  they dont just happen.  when i talked to a lawyer years ago about my expungement it was around $6-800 I believe.  Youre going to be looking at that cost x2. 

if youve had 2 possesion charges in less than 1 year you may want to rethink your priorities.  i know people who have smoked their whole life and have never had 1.  this is obviously not a game you are good at, and will likely end up with more charges in the future if you dont make a change. /dadlecture

 

[eashawty]

Originally Posted by misterj

well youre in for a surprise because expungements aren't free.  they dont just happen.  when i talked to a lawyer years ago about my expungement it was around $6-800 I believe.  Youre going to be looking at that cost x2. 

if youve had 2 possesion charges in less than 1 year you may want to rethink your priorities.  i know people who have smoked their whole life and have never had 1.  this is obviously not a game you are good at, and will likely end up with more charges in the future if you dont make a change. /dadlecture

all of this

 

[stick]

Originally Posted by misterj

well youre in for a surprise because expungements aren't free.  they dont just happen.  when i talked to a lawyer years ago about my expungement it was around $6-800 I believe.  Youre going to be looking at that cost x2. 

if youve had 2 possesion charges in less than 1 year you may want to rethink your priorities.  i know people who have smoked their whole life and have never had 1.  this is obviously not a game you are good at, and will likely end up with more charges in the future if you dont make a change. /dadlecture

They're already in the process of being expunged. I want to know if there's a way to make it happen faster. First possession charge I was in a college dorm and like 8 of us all got charged with possession just for being around it. Second charge was my fault, we were blazing in a car. I don't even blaze like that though. Haven't toked since I last got caught and don't plan on doing it anytime soon. It was just bad luck that it happened twice within a little over a year.

 

[lazyj10]

Did you research expungement of records in PA?

 

[jbv1]

Will the company hiring you put the offer back on the table if you can prove the expungements are done?

Good luck if that ship hasn't sailed.

How about consulting lawyers that do pro bono work? stop and chat a quick consultation?

 

[lazyj10]

Let me ask you this...they already know of your criminal records assuming its on your background check which they'd have a copy of.....so I mean, what can you really do?

 

[stick]

Originally Posted by LazyJ10

Did you research expungement of records in PA?

Yeah, wasn't really able to find anything relating to my situation though (expungement in progress, needed to be done sooner).

jbv1 wrote:

---

Will the company hiring you put the offer back on the table if you can prove the expungements are done? 

Good luck if that ship hasn't sailed. 

How about consulting lawyers that do pro bono work? stop and chat a quick consultation? 

Yeah they'll hire me if the records are expunged, but not if they've found another person to fill the job before then. I'll have to look into a pro bono lawyer. I wasn't aware they even existed until I just googled it

.

LazyJ10 wrote:

---

Let me ask you this...they already know of your criminal records assuming its on your background check which they'd have a copy of.....so I mean, what can you really do?

It's a job in the courts. I can't be in the court system while being employed by them. Once they're expunged I'm good.

 

[BANLEU]

When I was going through legal trouble last year I paid my lawyer good money to not only defend me, but to also make sure that there was no record of me even being charged. In addition, I requested he have my civil records sealed also because I didn't want anything on my record that could be used against me in the future. Needless to say, the process was very lengthy and it took almost an entire year for everything to be cleared completely.

My understanding is that it relates to the different types of records. Criminal records on the state level are usually cleared within 3-6 months after the court order to expunge has been issued. After that, however, the records have to be cleared from the much broader federal database. That can take anywhere from 6-12 months.

Your best bet may be to try and check how far along you're in the expungement process. You can do this by requesting your case file and seeing of the court has order the expungement. If it has, then all you can do is wait. If it hasn't, then you can petition the judge that presided over your case to issue the order. Afterward all you can do is wait.

 

[tero]

I got an expungement and i live in MD, it costed me 30 bucks.. 1 month later my record was clean.

I have a question though, I heard your only allowed to get 1 expungement your entire life... is it possible to get 2???? I got a frickin charge for TRESSPASSING since 2009 and i think its messing me up with jobs right now. could i get both things expunged?

 

[pusha c]

1 expungement (which is not a word but i'll rock with it

) in your entire life???? that can't be true... or can it...

 

[arsenalgunner1]

Originally Posted by PUSHA C

1 expungement (which is not a word but i'll rock with it

) in your entire life???? that can't be true... or can it...

In the common law legal system, an expungement proceeding is a type of lawsuit in which a first time offender of a prior criminal conviction seeks that the records of that earlier process be sealed, thereby making the records unavailable through the state or Federal repositories.



*Wikipedia, of course. 

Not trying to be a smart $$+. I googled it to check if it really wasn't a word

 

 

[chickencurry4eva]

Criminal Record = misdemeanor or felony CONVICTION, correct?

Does a background check pull charges as well, that may have been dropped or reduced to a non-criminal offense?

Based on OP's post I'm inclined to believe that all charges are pulled up as well, but I've always thought it was criminal convictions only..

Anyone care to shed some light?

 

[tero]

^ thats what I always thought. Usually employment questions are have you ever plead guilty or been convicted. I was never convicted nor have i ever been guilty of anything... but when when i got a background check for this one job, it showed an alert basically saying that I got charged for tresspassing... and I think thats why i never got the job. and thats only a misdemeanor

 

[stick]

Originally Posted by chickencurry4eva

Criminal Record = misdemeanor or felony CONVICTION, correct?

Does a background check pull charges as well, that may have been dropped or reduced to a non-criminal offense?

Based on OP's post I'm inclined to believe that all charges are pulled up as well, but I've always thought it was criminal convictions only..

Anyone care to shed some light?

I'm not entirely sure, but since I opted to be put into those "programs" (ARD and the small amt. of marijuana class) I guess that counts as a conviction. I didn't necessarily plead guilty or not guilty, but I acknowledged that I committed the crime by going for those programs.
Also thanks to Mr Anleu. I guess all I can do is wait, since I know the expungement order has been issued in both cases.

 

 

[mplsdunk]

That's really stupid that if you can get them off they'll hire you

like " oh ok you wasted time and money now its like it never happened. You're on board "

 

[shoedinidc]

welcome to semi $+*# jobs until its maybe taken away. Did u get charged before 18 op?

 

[tupac jordan]

NT lawyers I have 2 strikes (California) if I move to another state does it start over? I don't want to use my last strike unless it's worth it.