If the crime you committed is eligible, you may be able to seal or expunge your criminal conviction. The difference under Illinois law between sealing and expunging is that expunged records are destroyed while sealed records are retained but are not available to the general public.   The question that I’m often asked is, who will be able to see my record after it is sealed? It depends if (a) the case is a misdemeanor or felony, and (b) who wants to see your record.  First and foremost, the general public, landlords, and employers not required by law to do finger-print based background checks can not see sealed convictions regardless if they are felonies or misdemeanors. For all felony and misdemeanor cases, the following have access to the criminal record:  Illinois State Police; Department of Corr...

If you were convicted of a crime in Illinois, you may be able to seal the criminal record. The procedure around having a criminal record sealed is complicated and having the right attorney on your side can make all the difference in your case. With extensive experience, Attorney John D. Ioakimidis understands the nuances of this area of law. Recognized as one of the “10 Best Attorney for Client Satisfaction” by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys, you can trust you are in good hands at his firm. In the state of Illinois, having your criminal record expunged is different from having it sealed. To have your record expunged means that the record is physically destroyed by the agencies and government bodies holding it or the hard copies of the record get returned to the petitioner. When a c...