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How long does a misdemeanor stay on your record?

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lil_kydarlin

Guest
What is the name of your state? Kentucky

When I was married to my exhusband he took MY checkbook and wrote several cold checks and signed MY name to them. I was served with a warrant in the county we lived in at the time, I went to the county attrny and told them I had not signed the check, they compared signatures on the check and my drivers lic and dropped the charge instantly. My husband went and pd the check off and no charges were brought against him. ALMOST a yr later ( I believe they can't pursue payment on a check after its a yr old) the sheriff in another county presented a warrant for another cold check he'd forged at the same time- for a USED TRANSMISSION! I went to the county attrny in that county and he said I could pay the check off but I still had to pay the arrest fee and go to court anyway. So I went and I presented a receipt for the check and the actual check, so the judge could see it wasn't my signature. I also presented documents to show I was in the hospital 2 hrs away, I had just delivered our son (which was HOW he got my checkbook to begin with). I told the judge that I didn't understand WHY this man took a check from my husband - that wasn't signed BY him, he didn't KNOW him. The judge said that since he was my husband he could do that - I asked him HOW the man knew he was my husband? His name was no where on the check or my account. I also pointed out that the judge and I had the same last name, that didn't mean we were married or that I had the right to sign his name on a check. They told me that it was dismissed and would not show up on my record. A couple years later, I applied for a job and stated I had no criminal record, they did a background check and found a misdemeanor theft by deception stating I pled guilty!

How long is this on my record? Does it have to be expunged? I'm older now and very angry about this! I was young and stupid and too scared of my exhsbnd to press forgery charges. I would love to sue the man that took the ck to begin with! And press forgery charges against my ex. For the embarrassment this has caused, I have to list this on every job I apply for- and it caused me to lose a job!
 


D

DRN

Guest
1. Its on your record forever unless it is expunged.

2. If you want it off your record, yes.

PS: Even expunging it won't completely erase it from government records somewhere. if someone, particularly a cop, tries to find it, they will.

My 2 cents
 
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lil_kydarlin

Guest
Thank you for responding! Do you know how I begin the process to expunge it? When I first learned of it, I called the court clerk's office and was talking with a man, explaining that I was basically lied to in court by the judge as he said it would not be on my record and how the other county had handled. The main difference here is one county applied justice, the other was money hungry. He said it was on my record because I had paid the arrest fee and court costs, when you pay court costs you're admitting your guilty:confused: . I asked if he could pull the tape of the hearing and he was going to work on it. Then I started a new job and couldn't call from there to finish the follow up and couldn't take off, so I dropped it. I'm just tired of having to explain it to every employer that offers me a job- so far they have all understood- but it's SOOOO embarrassing!

And yes- IT SUCKS!
 

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