Many people who are arrested but subsequently get their case dismissed are under the mistaken belief that the case is automatically expunged from their record.  The fact of the matter is that expunging your record is NOT automatic.  In fact, the court file and police reports will remain in the system available for the public to view even if the case is ultimately thrown out.

When an arrest occurs, the arresting police agency creates a file on you.  At that point, your fingerprints are sent to the Illinois State Police and they generate a file on you as well.  Lastly, a court file is also generated once you go to court.

In order to clear your criminal record, you must apply for an expungement to erase any traces of the arrest or court case.  The expungement process is not automatic even if your case was dismissed.

Contact XpungeChicago – A Division of The Offices of M. Fakhoury to begin the Clearing Your Criminal Record!