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Clear Your Criminal Record In New Mexico

It is no secret that a criminal record can haunt you for years. A conviction on the books, or even an arrest without a conviction, can stand in the way of many of your goals in areas of life such as employment, housing, occupational licenses, immigration, obtaining credit and more. If you have the opportunity to wipe the record clean after a criminal arrest or conviction, it is in your best interest to seize that chance. Expungement may open the door to a clean slate.

An expungement can be life-changing. Explore your options in a consultation with a defense attorney at Law Office of Ryan J. Villa LLC In 2019, the New Mexico Legislature created a law making expungements much easier to obtain. Since then, we have helped many clients get a fresh start through vigorous defenses, appeals and expungements.

What Can And Cannot Be Accomplished With Expungement

Many criminal matters can be removed from public records through expungement, including arrests, dismissals and convictions. After an expungement, these blights on your record will become unreportable through background checks. You will have the right to answer “no” on job applications that ask whether you have a criminal record.

The opportunity for expungement comes with several caveats, as follows.

  • The district attorney and some employers may still have access to records of expunged offenses.
  • Certain crimes cannot be wiped away through expungement, including DWI, embezzlement, sex crimes that are on sex offender registries, crimes against children and violent offenses resulting in great bodily harm or death.
  • Also, the time between a conviction and your eligibility for expungement ranges from immediately to up to ten years, depending on the type of offense and other variables.

Anyone with any type of criminal record should explore with a lawyer ways to lessen the impact of an arrest or a conviction on the books, through expungement or other ways (such as requesting a new trial).

Speak With One Of Our Experienced Defense Lawyers

We are committed to helping people find paths forward after a brush with the law. Schedule a consultation at your earliest convenience by calling 505-445-7097 or sending an email inquiry through this website.