Seal or Expunge a Florida Criminal Record - Need Another Reason?

If you are eligible to seal or expunge your criminal record - don't delay.

Contact a local attorney in Tampa who can sit down with you today to complete all of the paperwork to seal or expunge your criminal record today.

We help clients seal or expunge a criminal record throughout the greater Tampa Bay area including Hillsborough County, Polk County, Hernando County, Pasco County, Pinellas County, or Manatee County, FL.


What is the difference between seal or expunge?

• Expunge (sometimes called Expunction or Expungement) - You may be able to expunge your record if the charges were dropped by the prosecutor or dismissed by the court.
• Seal - You may be able to seal if the court withheld adjudication after you entered a plea of guilty or no contest. After your record has been sealed for 10 years, you might become eligible to expunge that record.

At the Sammis Law Firm, we can help you seal or expunge your criminal record. While you are in our office we can help you fill out the paperwork, show you where to sign, and send everything off the same day to begin the process. At the end of the process, we schedule the final hearing before the judge who will sign the order to seal or expunge the record.

Many people hire us after attempting to seal or expunge their record on their own. After months of waiting, they find out that one small mistake requires them to start the process over again from the beginning.

If it is important to you to seal or expunge your record quickly, contact an attorney for a free consultation to find out the benefits of hiring a local attorney to help you through the process today.

Need another reason to seal or expunge a criminal record in Florida?

Before March of 2009, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office website published arrest and booking information, including booking photos (mugshots), names, address, and other personal details about the individual arrested for only the past five (5) years.

Now that has changed. Beginning in March of 2009, the arrest records maintained on the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office website now go back to January 1, 1995. Anyone with an internet connection can now search these records and even see a mug shot, from the comfort of their computer.

Other Florida law enforcement agencies in Orange County, Polk County, Pasco County, Hernando County, Pinellas County, Manatee County, Lake County, and Sarasota County are also improving the availability of criminal arrest records. Even more embarrassing details of a criminal case can be found on the clerk of court websites for each county in Florida.

Even more alarming, private companies now have the ability to download this information into massive databases that can publish the information even after the seal or expunge has taken the information out of the local, state and national government databases. As this technology becomes more common, your chances of erasing this information becomes even more difficult over time.

If you are eligible to seal or expunge your Florida criminal record, act quickly.
Click here for more information about filing a petition to - seal or expunge a Florida arrest record. Find out how long it takes to seal or expunge a criminal record.

Also, read more about sealing or expunging in Pasco County, FL, or the surrounding areas throughout Tampa and Hillsborough County, FL.

This article was last updated on Saturday, September 12, 2015. Topic: Seal and Expunge Hillsborough County Arrest, Seal and Expunge Florida Criminal Record, Sealing or Expunging Criminal Record, Expungement.

Violation of Probation in Bartow, Polk County, Florida

The consequences of a violation of probation in Bartow, Polk County are serious. In many of these cases, even for a misdemeanor violation of probation, such as DUI or possession of marijuana, the Polk County Judge may issue a "no bond" warrant for your arrest.

After your arrest, your case may not be schedule for a hearing on the violation of probation affidavit for weeks.

Instead of sitting in jail for several weeks, many people can benefit from hiring an attorney to file a motion for bond or to move up the VOP hearing date.

Your attorney can also help you come up with ways to come into compliance with any remaining terms or to explain any technical violation. If you were arrested for a new felony or misdemeanor offense, your attorney can represent you on that offense as well.

Read the disclaimer and press the "I Agree" button to find out more about our recent case results in violation of probation cases in Polk County, Florida:

Disclaimer: The Florida Bar does not review or approve case results for any lawyer's websites. If you would like to see the results we have obtained in the past and statements regarding the quality our work, you must read the disclaimer and request the additional information by clicking on the "I agree" button:

• Past successes do not guarantee future results.
• The facts and circumstances of your case may differ from the cases discussed in our recent case results.
• Not all results are provided.
• The results discussed are not necessarily representative of the results obtained in all cases because each case is different and must be evaluated and handled on its own merit.

I do not agree.

In two recent cases, two different clients whose cases were totally unrelated had similar problems. In each case the client was issued a notice to appear for a possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor offense. In each case, when the client went to the arraignment the client entered a plea to the charge without the benefit of talking with a private attorney or a public defender in Polk County. The Court in Bartow, FL, then sentenced the client to 45 days in jail, suspended, conditioned upon the client completing 12 months of probation with 6 clean urine tests and community service.

Instead, each client was placed on probation in Polk County, Florida. Both clients had trouble with one of the 6 urine screens. One client tested positive for cannabinoids (marijuana or cannabis). The other client was charged with "failure to provide a urine sample" which is treated by the court in Polk County in the same manner as a positive urine screen. After the probation officer in each case filed a affidavit of violation of probation, the Court issued a "no bond" warrant. Both individuals were arrested at on the "no bond" warrant for a misdemeanor violation of probation in Polk County.

After the arrest, in each case the family hired the Sammis Law Firm. Within a few days we scheduled a bond hearing in each case. For the first case, heard in Division M6, the bond hearing was scheduled on April 13, 2009. The Court in Polk County granted the bond motion, released the client from the jail on "ROR" the same day (without having to post any bond money), scheduled 2 drug screens, and then reset for a hearing in May.

In the second case, the bond motion was heard on April 20, 2009, which was within a few days of when the firm was retained, again in Division M6. In that case, the Court in Bartow again granted the motion so that the client did not have to remain in jail for the next 45 days while waiting for the first motion hearing date. The Court ordered the client into the pre-trial release program ROR (without having to post any bond money).

The important thing to keep in mind is that if you are arrested on a "no bond" warrant, you will usually sit in jail until your VOP case is resolved in front of the VOP judge. Unfortunately, after your arrest it may be many weeks before your case is schedule for a hearing in front of the judge that will hold your VOP hearing or sentencing. The only "short cut" to get you back in front of the judge sooner is to schedule an emergency bond hearing.

In many of these cases, a small technical violation (even if it occurred) does not require continuing to hold the person with no bond for several weeks, especially for a charge like misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Every case is different. Only by talking with an experienced criminal defense attorney can you find out what remedies might be available for your particular case.

---

Information Upon Request Zone

If you believe that your probation officer is about to issue an affidavit for a probation violation in your Polk County case, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney that fights violation of probation cases at the courthouse in Bartow, Polk County, today to discuss your case.

Violation of probation can occur in a variety of felony and misdemeanor cases, such as DUI, reckless driving, driving while license suspended or revoked, possession of marijuana, felony drug charges, domestic battery, or child abuse.

Call our office to discuss the facts of your case with an attorney during a free consultation by calling 813-250-0500. Click here for more information hiring a criminal attorney for Polk County, Florida. Don't face the judge alone.

Tampa Man's Violation of Probation Warrant

The Possibility of Avoiding Jail after a VOP "No Bond" Warrant

A felony violation of probation (VOP) allegation usually results in a "no bond" warrant. After the arrest on the warrant, the person arrested must wait in jail to see the court to resolve the case. Many individuals want to avoid going into custody altogether after a violation of probation allegation. In certain cases, an experienced criminal defense attorney may be able to assist you in getting the "no bond" warrant withdrawn so that you can avoid going into custody altogether. In other cases, your attorney may be able to appear with you at first appearance court which may be schedule within 8-24 hours of your arrest depending on when you turn yourself in on the warrant. At the first appearance the court may grant you a bond, especially in those cases in which you are not a flight risk, and the allegation of violation of probation is for a technical violation or a new misdemeanor arrest.

Disclaimer: The Florida Bar does not review or approve case results for any lawyer's websites. If you would like to see the results we have obtained in the past and statements regarding the quality our work, you must read the disclaimer and request the additional information by clicking on the "I agree" button:

• Past successes do not guarantee future results.
• The facts and circumstances of your case may differ from the cases discussed in our recent case results.
• Not all results are provided.
• The results discussed are not necessarily representative of the results obtained in all cases because each case is different and must be evaluated and handled on its own merit.

I do not agree.

In a recent case, D.B. v. State, 05-cf-018590, Circuit Court in Hillsborough County, a man charged with several felony counts of worthless check contacted our office after he learned that his Hillsborough County probation officer in Tampa had issued a warrant for his arrest for violating probation when he failed to pay restitution as scheduled. "Failure to pay" is considered a technical violation. Certain defenses exist for this type of violation including a showing that the failure to pay was not willful, but instead resulted from economic circumstances beyond the probationer's control. In this case, the man had moved out of state and wanted to avoid going into custody so that he could keep his job and not fall even further behind in his restitution payment. The man worked on commission, and since his recent commissions had decreased dramatically because of the economy, he wanted his probation time period extended to allow him additional time to pay the restitution.

His probation officer told him that he had a "no bond" warrant for his arrest. The probation officer wanted him to return to Florida and turn himself in at the jail. The man knew that even a few days in jail would probably cause him to lose his job.

The man hired the Sammis Law Firm to file a motion to surrender in Hillsborough County, Florida, and scheduled a status hearing on that motion on March 4, 2009. The status hearing was within48 hours of the time the man retained the firm. On that date, the Court withdrew the warrant so that the man could travel back to Florida on March 19, 2009, without any fear of being arrested on the felony "no bond" warrant. The man was ordered to appear at the next court date. On that day, the man appeared and was granted additional time to pay his restitution. The allegation that he willfully violated his probation was dismissed by the Court in the Hillsborough County case. The client was able to avoid going into custody completely which allowed him to keep his job.

---

Information Upon Request Zone

If you believe that you may be arrested on a "no bond" warrant for violation of probation in Hillsborough County, or in one of the surrounding counties of Polk County, Pasco County, or Pinellas County. Call 813-250-0500 to speak with an experienced Tampa criminal defense attorney to discuss your violation of probation case.

Probation Violation After New Charge for Soliciting Another to Commit Prostitution

Disclaimer: The Florida Bar does not review or approve case results for any lawyer's websites. If you would like to see the results we have obtained in the past and statements regarding the quality our work, you must read the disclaimer and request the additional information by clicking on the "I agree" button:

• Past successes do not guarantee future results.
• The facts and circumstances of your case may differ from the cases discussed in our recent case results.
• Not all results are provided.
• The results discussed are not necessarily representative of the results obtained in all cases because each case is different and must be evaluated and handled on its own merit.

I do not agree.

On March 29, 2009, our client was arrested for the second degree misdemeanor offense of Soliciting Another to Commit Prostitution. The client was also on felony probation for Grant Theft Three Degree ($300-$5,000) and Burglary of an Unoccupied Structure, both three degree felonies. The new arrest caused the client to violate condition five of his probation which prevents a probationer from committing any new law violation which was evidenced by this arrest by an undercover Tampa Police Department officer for the offense of soliciting another to commit prosecution.

Defendant was held on a "no bond" warrant until the arraignment which was scheduled on the violation of probation allegation on April 2, 2009. Because these client was charged only with violation for an arrest involving a misdemeanor offense, the case was heard in Division "K" with the Honorable Daniel L. Perry, Circuit Court Judge for Hillsborough County, FL.

A few days before the hearing, a family friend hired a Tampa probation violation attorney with the Sammis Law Firm to represent the client. We filed and scheduled a motion for bond on the same day as the arraignment, April 2, 2009. At the bond hearing, the client's employer and family friend were present to testify about the progress the client had made since he had been put on probation. We were also able to argue that the State's chances of success in proving the soliciting another to commit prosecution were low because of the particular facts of that case.

At the hearing on April 2, 2009, the Court dismissed the allegation for the second degree misdemeanor of soliciting, and also dismissed the affidavit for violation of probation. The client was released that day and given another chance to complete all of the terms of his felony probation.

---

Information Upon Request Zone