Expungement & Sealing

Overview: Expunging Your Criminal Record in Illinois

February 27, 2016
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NOTE: This article was refreshed to account for Public Act 102-933, which became part of Illinois law on January 1, 2023. Since that date, Illinois modified the Criminal Identification Act to enable a person to request expungement, even after testing positive for cannabis. Expungement is the process where a criminal court disposition is removed from […]

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New Illinois law bans mugshot web sites while Google removes them from search

October 23, 2013
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People make mistakes… That’s just life, right? But things are different in today’s world, because social media like Facebook and Twitter are available to document people’s mistakes forever. In an instant, arrest records are disseminated for all to see in Google. There is a pernicious industry on the web that preys upon people who were […]

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Felons not required to disclose criminal convictions on Illinois government job applications

October 13, 2013
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In an unprecedented move, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has issued an order that allows applicants for state government jobs to apply without having to disclose felony convictions. Governor Quinn calls it an order to ‘Ban the Box,’ referring to the box job applicants have to check to disclose convictions. The administrative order, issued October 3, […]

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Job applicants with criminal records may find employment under new EEOC policy

October 29, 2012
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As anyone with a criminal record can tell you, one conviction can have a devastating impact on your future. When you apply for a job with a criminal record, you usually don’t expect to make it past the background check. But that all may change soon under an important policy change with the Equal Employment […]

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Cook County to host annual expungement summit June 2, 2012

May 1, 2012
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All persons who have ever been arrested in Cook County should be aware of the free expungement seminar scheduled for June 2, 2012. Under Illinois law, any person who is arrested and charged with a crime has a record with the Illinois State Police that can be disseminated nationwide. The record of the arrest remains […]

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Examining State Police expungement statistics

October 4, 2011
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The Illinois State Police are mandated by law to keep track of how many petitions to expunge or seal they receive each year, and what the outcome is. This is a new legal obligation. It became mandatory through the Expungement Backlog Accountability Law. 20 ILCS 2630/14. In the past, the State Police were notorious for […]

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