Expunging A Chicago, Illinois Solicitation Charge

This is my fourth post regarding handling prostitution and solicitation charges in Chicago, Illinois. My last post discussed the consequences of a solicitation conviction. I understand that it can be frightening and embarrassing to face such a charge and dealing with it can be very stressful, especially if it is your first arrest. Luckily, if it is the first time you have been charged with a crime and you are offered probation then you may be eligible for an expungement if you successfully complete the terms of your supervision.

Solicitation charges may be expunged after a Chicago resident completes probation

If you are a Chicago resident, are offered probation with terms and, successfully complete such probation then you may be eligible to have a solicitation conviction expunged. This means that the record of the arrest and charged are permanently destroyed and cannot be accessed. This is also true if you receive a judgment of acquittal, a finding of no probable cause (which may result after your lawyer files a Motion to Suppress Evidence, or on the prosecution’s motion), a dismissal, or where no charges are filed.

It is important to note that the above described option is only available if you have never been convicted of an offense before. If this is your first arrest and you have exhausted other defenses, your lawyer may suggest that you resolve your matter for probation. When you successfully complete probation you may request your case be expunged from the record.

A Chicago solicitation lawyer can help you keep your record clean

In order to file a request to have your case expunged, you will need the following information:

• Your case number
• The date of your arrest
• The law enforcement agency that arrested you
• Any charges brought against you
• The disposition in your case (e.g., dismissal, no probable cause, probation)
• The date your supervision expired or your case was dismissed
• The “Chief legal officer of the unit of local government that affected the arrest”
• The State’s Attorney or other prosecutor who prosecuted your case

These pieces of information can be obtained by requesting records from the agency that arrested you, the courts, and running your “livescan” with a local police agency or bail bondsman to receive the records back from your fingerprints, as well as some internet searching. If you had an attorney handle your case initially then counsel will have all this information at his or her fingertips. It will all be held in your file, and in fact, your attorney may be able to arrange as a condition of your probation that you are able to return to court on the date of termination and have the record expunged. This way once you have completed the terms of your probation you can have the record sealed and destroyed.

If you have been arrested or charged with solicitation or prostitution contact my Orland Park office today for a consultation with a Chicago criminal defense attorney. I also handle matters in areas of Cook County including Glenview, Palos Park, Oak Lawn, Oak forest, Blue Island, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Alsip, Bridgeview, Lemont, Orland Hills, Country Club Hills, Hickory Hills, and Tinley Park, in DuPage County areas including Downers Grove, Naperville, Woodridge, and Darien, in Kane County areas including Aurora, Elgin and Geneva, and the Will County cities of Joliet, Bolingbrook, Mokena, Frankfort, New Lenox, Lockport, Homer Glen, Romeoville, and Manhattan.