CORI Criminal Record Sealing Laws in Massachusetts
CORI
CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) are criminal records assembled by a Massachusetts criminal justice agency that was documented and pertain to an individual.
Attorney Celozzi is a dedicated criminal record sealing lawyer who concentrates in areas of CORI sealing, criminal record expungement laws in Massachusetts. Attorney Celozzi has helped hundreds of individuals in CORI record sealing and serves all of Worcester County including Marlborough MA, Northborough, Southborough, Milford and Westborough Massachusetts.
As a former prosecutor with the Worcester District Attorney’s Office, attorney Celozzi has extensive trial experience that will now help you in your criminal record expungement.
Who Has Access to My Criminal Records?
If you sign paperwork that gives permission to someone to look at your CORI, they will be able to receive a report on you.
Examples:
- Employers
- Landlords
- Schools for on parents who volunteer for school activities.
- Health care providers
- Adoption agencies
It is not legal for a landlord and or potential employer and other and public housing programs to ask you for a copy of your CORI report that you have gotten on your own. The information on a CORI report is limited and most employers will only see your list of convictions.
When Can I Have My Criminal Record Sealed?
You can apply three or seven years from the date of the verdict or guilty plea.
- Misdemeanor - you must wait three years before applying to have your records sealed.
- Felony - seven years before applying to have the CORI sealed.
- Sex offense convictions may apply to have their criminal records sealed 15 years after the date of conviction or any time in custody related to the conviction of the sex offense.
If charged with a sexual offense in Massachusetts, you may not seal the record while you are require to register as a sex offender.
New CORI Laws in MA
CORI sealing applies to people seventeen or older unless your were prosecuted as an adult at the ages of seventeen or under. Also in order to expunge and seal your criminal charges, in addition the charges must have occurred prior to your 21st birthday and be the only charge on your record.
Are You Eligible to Have Your Criminal Record Sealed?
Finding work can be challenging if you have previously been convicted of a crime. In 2012, Massachusetts changed their laws regarding record sealing. The new law allowed people to restrict access to their criminal records five years after a misdemeanor conviction and ten years after a felony conviction- down from ten and fifteen years respectively.
Find out which records are eligible to be sealed.
- There are different eligibility requirements for sealing criminal records depending on whether or not there was a conviction
- Felony — 7 years after you were found guilty or after any jail or prison time, whichever date is later.
- Misdemeanor — 3 years after you were found guilty or after any jail or prison time, whichever date is later.
Sealing conviction records
The conviction sealing process is governed by MGL c. 276, s. 100A. You can ask the Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS) to seal some criminal convictions. You can ask to seal a criminal record under these circumstances:
Sealing records without convictions
The non-conviction sealing process is governed by MGL c. 276, s. 100C. You can ask the court where the offense originated to request to seal a criminal court record without a conviction for the following case results:
- Not guilty finding by a court or a jury
- No bill returned by a grand jury (failure to indict)
- No probable cause finding by a court
- Dismissal without probation entered by a court
Call today to speak with a criminal record sealing lawyer to find out if you are eligible
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