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“Sealing my record changed my life for the better. I made some unwise decisions in my late teen years, and to finally be able to check “No” when I apply to live in an apartment complex or when I want to get a new job—that is freedom to me. I can’t thank my lawyer enough. Tabitha Lee stood up for me and with me and I am forever grateful.”
“Tabitha sealed my record so that I could get a job as a nurse. I’m a single mom with two daughters and because my ex-boyfriend had called the police on me, I couldn’t get my dream job as a traveling dialysis nurse. Thanks to Tabitha, we have made a beautiful life of traveling the country all year and returning to Arkansas for the holidays.” — former client Marie Antoinette Livingston*.
Attorney Tabitha Lee is among the state’s perhaps leading experts on sealing criminal records. For people whose history with the criminal punishment system is impeding their access to work and/or housing, she provides a vital service.
In recent months, Tabitha has seen a COVID-induced increase in the urgency of this service to seal people’s criminal records. This is because furloughs and layoffs have left people in need of a job, and yet, their criminal histories prevent them from attaining one.
In short, people with criminal records already face decreased job opportunities, and the awful confluence of COVID and convictions compound people's already-limited job and housing opportunities.
We are currently accepting consultations for record sealing issues across the state. The consultation fee is $40, and the actual legal service fee is $750 in most cases. If you present dire circumstances, we have a limited amount of scholarships available as well for a partial waiver of the fees.
The full $750 is a low bono price, even though it may not feel like it. And, the work can be complicated by conservative prosecutors and judges who might make this work needlessly hard and require hearings even when there is no question of law left to argue.
Fortunately, this is not the norm. In fact, the general rule is that pro se petitioners (people without attorneys) have a much more difficult time than those with lawyers, with getting an objection over having some technical issue that can be easily solved with a couple of phone calls. Having an advocate that knows how to clear up these issues often makes the difference in getting a record sealed.
Please contact us if you would like to arrange for a consultation. You can also text us at 318-538-1198 to let us know you would like to set up a consultation.
*No real names have been used here.