Children make mistakes, but their mistakes don’t usually follow them for the rest of their lives. When it comes to criminal arrests and convictions, the same principle does not apply. Read on to learn more about juvenile criminal records, including how long they remain on a minor’s criminal record and what you can do to avoid having your child retained after they turn 18.
Juvenile criminal records remain permanently in the court system. Even when a minor turns eighteen, her criminal history does not disappear. These records are available to the public, including the military, employers, banks, schools, housing complexes, landlords, and ordinary people who want more information about a person. This means that a criminal record can greatly affect a person for the rest of their life in various ways, regardless of whether the crimes were committed before they were legal adults.
Employment
In terms of employment, a person with a juvenile delinquent record may not be eligible for certain jobs, professional licenses (such as foster parent or child care licenses), and promotions. All an employer has to do is call the courts and request a copy of her criminal record to find out more about them. They can then use anything they find to deny a person a job or a promotion. Depending on the severity of the crimes and convictions, the government may refuse to issue certain professional licenses even if a person completes college classes or vocational courses in the field.
Military and Housing
In military terms, a recruiter can find juvenile criminal records with no problem. Certain crimes may persuade a military recruiter to deny a person’s enrollment. Housing is another factor. A landlord or mortgage broker may deny a person’s application if they discover certain crimes on that person’s public criminal record. Even though the arrests, charges, and convictions occurred before they were legal adults, the records can (and usually will) be used against them. People with serious juvenile records may not be allowed to access government-assisted housing, even if their parents are applying.
Public Police reports
When a person has a juvenile criminal record, their records are available to the public. In addition, your police reports are also made public and can be consulted and viewed by anyone with a computer and internet connection. These same reports and records can be used against a person as an adult if they are on trial for another crime. Judges, prosecutors, and probation officers can use your juvenile records as the basis for defining their orders and requirements, including sentencing, releases, bonds, and probation.
Purging and Sealing
A new law on the expungement of criminal records has recently been passed in many states. This means that those who qualify can have their criminal records removed from public access. One method is called erasure and the other is called record sealing. Expungement refers to the erasure or removal of criminal convictions and/or arrests from a person’s permanent record. Sealing criminal records means restricting them from certain access. The only authorities that can access sealed records are criminal justice agencies and sometimes child care agencies.
The process that is required of the petitioner to seal or expunge records is very complicated and revolves around a strict timetable that is difficult to follow. One small filing error or a missed deadline, and a person loses the opportunity to seal their public criminal record forever. For these reasons, it is imperative to retain the professional legal advice of a licensed attorney who is familiar with expungement laws and provides filing and petition services.