What is sealing a court record in Georgia?

Sealing a court record removes records related to a criminal court case from public access.

Under Georgia law, any charge that has been restricted can potentially be sealed in Georgia. First Offender Act records can also be sealed.

To request that a record be sealed, you must file a motion – a written request – with the court that has the records. A judge will determine if your need to seal your record outweighs the public interest in knowing what happened with your case.

Under Georgia law until January 2021, it was mostly non-convictions that could be restricted, so getting those records sealed was often an easy case – if someone wasn’t even found guilty, there is little public interest in the case.

However, under the new law, convictions can be restricted and sealed, so it will be important to show how the public record affects someone and why the details of the case aren’t as important. 

It is important to have an attorney for cases that require a judge to balance factors like this. 

Some employers and law enforcement can still see sealed records, but the general public, most employers, landlords, and others will no longer be able to see them.

Do you need to seal your criminal record? Need information on whether you are eligible to restrict your criminal record? Call us to get started on your case today!

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DISCLAIMER: THE ABOVE STATEMENTS ARE GENERAL INFORMATION AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF YOUR CASE MAY BE DIFFERENT. DEVETTER LAW MAKES NO GUARANTEE OF ANY OUTCOME. THE ABOVE IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE AND NO ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP IS CREATED BY PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION.

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