The practical problem of an arrest without a conviction, plea or trial, is frustrating for anyone who has been through the system.
We have seen that happen in Criminal Cases, Divorce Cases, Custody Cases, and probably any other case you can imagine.
Part of the problem lies in the system itself. Here's an example:
Step 1: Someone calls 911 and says: My boyfriend/girlfriend hit the wall of our apartment and scared me, so I had to lock myself in my bedroom.
Step 2: Officers will be sent to you residence.
Step 3: You may very well be arrested if they believe the caller.
Step 4: The case is dismissed by the Court, either because there was actually no reason for the arrest or the caller did not appear.
This is where the problem comes. NCIC Reports (The national data base containing your arrests, etc.) are notoriously difficult to
interpret. As a Judge, many, many times I could not tell whether a case was dismissed, the Defendant was found guilty, not-guilty
after trial, etc.
Perhaps the worst part is that when you are applying for a job, employers see that you were charged with public drunk or simple
possession, for example, but don't care whether both or either were dismissed. The charge itself affects their judgment, which we
believe is fundamentally wrong at our law firm.
We can solve that problem for you through the expunction process.