Five Things You Must Know If You Have a Criminal History in Oregon

1: You can get a fresh start by getting your arrest or conviction off your record.

Not everybody with a criminal history can be like Dave Dahl, the founder of Dave's Killer Bread. Not to take away from Dave's hard work, but not everybody has a dad who will hire them into the family business.

Your criminal history will obviously present a significant obstacle to you pursuing your dreams. It will follow you around for years, coming up at every turn.

Oregon law provides you and your family with a way of getting a fresh start and moving forward, leaving the past behind. The process for erasing an arrest or conviction from your record is called "expungement." An attorney can help you understand the process and whether you can get your arrest and/or conviction off your record.

2: There are steps you can take to protect your ability to get an arrest or conviction off your Oregon criminal record.

You may be in a situation where you can get an arrest and/or conviction off your record in the future, even if you can't do so today.

The expungement process depends on factors like the type of charge you were arrested and/or convicted for, how much time has passed, and how successfully you served your sentence.

An attorney can review your criminal history and the relevant law, and advise you on what steps you can take to protect you and your family's ability to get a fresh start by getting an expungement down the road.

3: High schools, colleges, and graduate schools may turn you away because of your criminal history.

Getting a higher education is key to your future, and a criminal background will stand in your way. The admissions process for the best college preparatory high schools, colleges, and graduate schools is rigorous, and challenging even for the best and brightest.

Having a criminal history can also disqualify you from essential financial aid and scholarships. This means that even if you can get into the school of your choice, you may not even be able to go.

4: Employers may not even consider hiring you if you have a criminal history.

Today's job market is as competitive as ever, and you need every edge you can get. There are often dozens of qualified applicants just for a single position. Your criminal record will put you at a significant disadvantage.

Your arrest and/or conviction may be a horrible experience you want to forget, but you need to think about doing everything you can to make yourself attractive to potential employers.

An expungement can erase your arrest and/or conviction from your criminal history, helping you get the job you deserve.

5: Your dream of owning a home, running a small business, or becoming a U.S. citizen may be jeopardized by your criminal history.

Your dream of owning your own home may be jeopardized because a bank may balk at entering a mortgage with you because of your criminal history.

If you run small business and want to get a small business loan, you will probably be asked if you have a criminal record.

If you are one of the many people wanting to become a U.S. citizen, your application for citizenship maybe turned down because of your criminal background.

6: Schedule a consultation with our office right away.

Use this opportunity to take the right steps now, let us help you erase the criminal charges from your record and move on with your life. Call 503-655-7199.