Getting Your Juvenile Record Expunged in Tennessee

The teenage years are a time of rapid physical development, of testing boundaries and re-examining relationships with authority. In this often challenging time of life some kids get themselves into trouble with the law. Parents may have done the best that they could to raise smart, respectful children, but those children are also exposed to many influences in their lives—some of them more destructive than constructive. The good news is that most kids who might have gotten into some scrapes with the law in their rebellious teen years grew up to be well-adjusted adults who are working and handling the responsibilities of life. But what about that juvenile record? If someone does a background check would it show up? If someone with a juvenile record is applying for a job what is the truthful answer to the question about past criminal convictions?

Young people who have turned their lives around and want to go to college and get a job may wonder what has happened to their juvenile records. In Tennessee, expunged juvenile records are destroyed and erased from existence. Once your record has been expunged you do not need to disclose it to prospective employers, colleges or anyone else.

Understanding the requirements

A person can apply to have their juvenile record expunged if they meet the following requirements: see Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-153(a)(5)

• Age 18
• One year has passed since their last juvenile adjudication
• No criminal convictions since their transfer from juvenile court
• Never been convicted of a sexual offense as a juvenile or as an adult
• The court finds that the individual has demonstrated good behavior in the year leading up to the expungement request, and expunging the juvenile record is in the best interests of the individual and the community.

Work with a juvenile criminal defense attorney

Not all juvenile records can be sealed or expunged, and it can be a complex process that takes time and experience dealing with the courts to accomplish. An experienced criminal defense attorney will file a petition with the juvenile court clerk on your behalf to get the process started.

At the Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates, we understand when your child wants to put their past behind them and get their juvenile records sealed. We can help you understand the expungement process, and help you craft a plan that works for your child and for you. Please contact our office for more information.