Kansas Expungements - Criminal Record

It's a new year which is a time to start fresh.  A criminal record is something that can haunt you for the rest of your life. It can interfere with housing applications, employment, gun rights, and your general reputation.  Kansas is one of a few states with very generous expungement rules allowing you to expunge almost any misdemeanor and also expunge a wide range of felonies. 

If you're curious about your criminal record or want to know your criminal history, you can make a request from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, or if you know the specific court where your convictions occurred, you may be able to request those record directly from the clerk. 

Do I need a lawyer?

When you're trying to get a criminal record expunged, you want it done right and done as quickly as possible.  An experienced expungement attorney is the most secure and reliable way to make sure it's done quickly and done the right way. It also can prevent missteps that delay your expungement and can avoid issues that might prevent your expungement from being granted.  If you don't reside in Kansas it can also help you complete your expungement without having to come back to the state.

Do I need to come back to Kansas for my expungement?

No, you do not need to return to Kansas to expunge your Kansas criminal records.  Your attorney can file the required paperwork, obtain your signature on the appropriate materials, and file everything without you being present.  That being said, sometimes the Court or the prosecuting attorney for the state will ask that a hearing be held on your expungement request.  An experienced attorney will work hard to avoid this if at all possible. This hassle can add significant cost, travel expense, and missed work to complete your expungement.  If a hearing is requested then you will be required to appear before the court to support your expungement request.   This is a time when having an expungement attorney in your corner will really benefit you.

What does this cost?

There is a fee to file your expungement in most courts. In Kansas District Courts the fee as of this writing is $195.00.  Often that cost is rolled into your costs for hiring an attorney.  Many attorneys can cost thousands of dollars for the service of a criminal record expungement.  That's too much.  It's best to shop around. Find an experienced Kansas expungement attorney that can service your expungement for a flat fee.  Find someone who serves all 105 Kansas Counties who can clear your Kansas criminal record quickly and efficiently. 

Kansas Expungements

Many people in Kansas are eligible for an expungement and don’t even know it. Kansas allows expungements for many convictions, as well as records of diversions and arrests where charges were dropped.  An expungement seals your criminal record, making it invisible to most prospective employers or anyone else performing a background check.  In most cases, the state is not permitted to disclose your prior arrest or conviction. Expungements allow you to withhold information about the expunged offense and state you were never arrested in situations like non-law enforcement jobs interviews and college applications.   What it does not do is dispose entirely of your criminal record.  Law enforcement officials still have access to records expunged in Kansas in the event of an arrest for new crimes.When you obtain an expungement in Kansas, the FBI, KBI, and NCIC is notified and your convictions are then "expunged" or erased for most purposes within those particular databases.  

To find out if you're eligible for an expungement use this web-based questionnaire we developed or contact a Kansas criminal defense attorney with expungement experience.

Manhattan, Kansas Attorney New Expungement Website

Soon this firm will be offering a new website which will be geared exclusively towards Kansas expungements.  The website will offer information which will streamline the expungement process and offer an affordable solution to getting experienced expungement representation.  This website is offered by the Robinson Law Office and will serve all jurisdictions in Kansas including Sedgwick County, Johnson County, and Shawnee County. Luckily Kansas is a state that allows expungement of many crimes and has even recently reduced the required waiting period expunging a DUI conviction.  An expungement allows you to treat the crime as if it never happened.

The Manhattan, Kansas law firm will still offer criminal defense representation in Riley County, Geary County and surrounding areas.  This includes strong criminal defense representation for DUI, high level drug crimes, and domestic related crimes.

DUI Expungements, Kansas

Clearing your first time DUI record in the State of Kansas just got a little easier as of July 1, 2015.  That is the case, at least, for first time DUI offenders.   The Kansas Legislature, though embarrassingly ineffective this last term, did manage to ease the burden for those individuals who have received a Driving Under the Influence charge for the first time in Kansas by reducing the expungement waiting period for those DUI convictions.

Expungement is a way to clear your record for most purposes.  There is a waiting period that varies depending on the severity of the crime. For the past few years the period for expunging a DUI was 10 years, no questions asked.  As of July 1, 2015, the waiting period was reduced by 5 years for first time DUIs.  This means that five years from the date you were released from your diversion, probation, or parole for a first time DUI, you are now eligible for an expungement.  So where the waiting period for a DUI expungement was 10 years just days ago, it is now 5 years. This means any DUI first time offender who was released from their DUI diversion, probation, or parole before July 2010, they are eligible immediately to petition for their DUI charge and arrest to be expunged.

To get started on expunging your DUI or to expunge any other criminal charge in the State of Kansas call an expungement attorney in the Manhattan, Kansas area. We can serve all parts of Kansas.