Just because you were convicted of a crime doesn’t mean that your conviction must forever haunt employment background checks, stop you from becoming a U.S. citizen or remain a deportation threat.
There is no reason to let a youthful mistake, misunderstanding, past criminal record—or especially a criminal identity theft—be a barrier to future opportunities. Many options of post-conviction relief are available to help you, even after you have served time, finished probation, or paid your fines. Relief is critical for clearing the records of victims of criminal identity theft.
Through post-conviction proceedings, the Law Offices of Jonathan Minkus can attempt to lessen the negative consequences of having been convicted of a crime. Your background may be used against you in rental matters, employment and education opportunities, by Immigration and Naturalization—and even socially.
If you have been convicted in a criminal case, there are serious consequences that impact many aspects of your life. You may have trouble passing a background check for employment reasons, credit accounts, or renting a home. Professional license holders may lose their credentials, which means you cannot work in your chosen field. There are also severe implications if you are going through the immigration process. Illinois law does allow you to expunge your criminal record, but the statute is complicated when it comes to eligibility and filing.
Post-conviction relief and expungement lawyer Jonathan Minkus understands the challenges you face as a result of a criminal conviction. He has represented many clients in similar situations, with more than 30 years of experience serving Skokie, IL and the entire Chicago region. Mr. Minkus has the knowledge to assist you with qualifying, filing a petition, and other important components of the expungement process in Illinois.
Under Illinois law, you qualify to expunge your criminal record if you were arrested for a crime AND:
Note that even if you are not eligible to expunge a criminal conviction, you may still qualify for record sealing in Illinois. While different from expungement, there are certain benefits for sealing a criminal record.
You must file a Request to Expunge and Impound Criminal Records to initiate the expungement process. Your success with expunging a conviction is dependent upon completing this petition accurately, along with all supporting documentation, within the time specified by law. Mr. Minkus will assist you in gathering all information and ensuring all requirements are fulfilled, including details about the arrest and the nature of the charges.
If your Request to Expunge and Impound Criminal Records is accepted, your criminal record is erased as if you were never arrested. Because all paperwork is destroyed and your name no longer appears on the database of criminal convictions, you can legally state that you have no convictions when asked by a potential employer. Plus, you will not be required to include the information when filling out an apartment lease. However, you should discuss your circumstances with an immigration lawyer if you have a conviction and are involved in the immigration process.
Attorney Jonathan Minkus has represented many clients with criminal convictions in connection with expungement and other types of post-conviction relief. To discuss eligibility or schedule a free consultation, please call our office at (847) 966-0300 or visit our website.
I am forever grateful for Jonathan Minkus and his assistance with my clemency petition. I found myself in an exceptionally troubling situation in which my legal status in the US was in jeopardy due to my criminal record. Per the advice of my immigration attorney, I engaged Mr. Minkus’s services in the hopes that he might be able to assist with a clemency petition. Mr....
My wife and I have tried 3 times for her green card and was rejected three times because of some trouble she was accused of before she spoke English. I asked another Lawyer is there anything we can do and she referred us to Jonathan Minkus. We meet with Jonathan and said he might be able to help us but it would be difficult. Jonathan...
Jonathan helped me to vacate two of charges against me, and both of them are successfully vacated. I had a very good experience working with Jonathan and he is a very kind person and very considerate. I would like to highly recommend someone that has same situation as me to go get help form Jonathan.
For 6 years my wife and I tried to receive our Green Card. After being declined 3 times, I asked our immigration lawyer is there anyway to correct some legal issues my wife fell into before she learned to speak English. We were referred to Jonathan and he has done miracles in clearing her name so we finally have a chance at receiving our Green...
Jonathan is not only a brilliant attorney but he is a genuinely good human being. A petty misdemeanor mistake was holding back our immigration process. We came to him seeking options and hope. Upon meeting Jonathan during our initial consultation, his overwhelming knowledge, positivity and kindness were on full display and we immediately felt hope again. I know in my heart Jonathan deeply cares for...
I highly recommend his services.
Jonathan was the only one willing to help my husband and me during a tough time. My husband was facing deportation and had no chance to beat his case unless Jonathan was able to vacate a previous conviction. Jonathan was persistent and genuinely advocated for my husband and family. Jonathan was able to vacate the 12-year-old conviction with DuPage County, giving us a fighting chance...
I hired Mr. Jonathan Minkus for a criminal drug conviction which I needed removed off of my record that I had pled guilty to over 7 years ago. Without going into too much detail about the difficulty of my case, I would just like to emphasize how difficult it is to convince a Judge 7 years after pleading guilty to drop a charge. Well, Jonathan...
Mr. Minkus did extremely good work on my difficult criminal case for Resisting Arrest . Also he help me save my Commercial Driver License for Agrivated speeding. That means he save my job and my income. This is High Class Lawyer and I would recommended This Lawyer to anyone with deep trouble . Thank You again mr Minkus.
I was wrongfully advised by an immigration lawyer to expunge my criminal record that consisted of a drug related charge in order to apply for residency. My wife and I quickly found out this was not true and were referred by two different lawyers (who did not know one another) to contact Mr. Minkus. We were without hope and filled with stress.
I almost never write reviews and when Mr. Minkus just finished representing my brother and I looked for him online I felt like I had to write this. Yes, he is not the cheapest lawyer around but he did exactly what he said he would do. My brother was being deported and we were sent to Mr. Minkus to try and fix his criminal record.
I hired Mr. Minkus a month ago after a convoluted incident that left me with criminal trespass and criminal damage to property, possibly pending a burglary charge. The confessions I had written and the police notes that were taken while I was in custody painted a very bad portrait of me and the system likely would have given me a severe sentence if not for
My experience with mr. Minkus was outstanding. Mr.Minkus really help me with difficult criminal case for Resisting Arrest and extremely bad traffic ticket for agrivated speeding . I would recommend this lawyer to anyone who are in deep trouble. I would love to say again THANK YOU mr Minkus for Excellent work on my case.
I had a conviction in my record that affect my ability to get my citizenship. Mr Johnatan came highly recommend from my immigration attorney and he was right. Mr Minkus went out of his way to get my conviction changed to the level that won't affect me anymore. I highly recommend his services.
Senior Partner Jonathan Minkus has successfully defended individuals charged with every conceivable criminal offense, from traffic misdemeanors to death-penalty eligible homicides.
Wisconsin Office
P.O. Box 16
Twin Lakes, WI 53181
5225 Old Orchard Rd.
Ste. 23B
Skokie, IL 60077
200 W. Adams St.
Ste. 2211
Chicago, IL 60606
Attorney Advertising. This information is designed for general information only. The information presented should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. Past results and testimonials are not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction of the outcome of your case, and should not be construed as such. Past results cannot guarantee future performance. Any result in a single case is not meant to create an expectation of similar results in future matters because each case involves many different factors, therefore, results will differ on a case-by-case basis. By providing certain contact information herein, you are expressly authorizing the recipient of this message to contact you via the methods of communication provided.
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