Does an arrest without a trial can ruin your clean record? What can be done to expunge that record?
I was arrested almost 7 years back in Boston, MA on a false accusation of kidnapping and rape. They let me go in a few hours, without taking me to the court, because they found out that I was not guilty. However, 7 years after that incident, my application for the apartment rental in Texas is declined because of some criminal record. I did not commit and crime in my entire life. What can I do to seal it up?
First thing you do is go back to the apartment manager and ask to see that criminal record. It might not even be yours. Sometimes names are misspelled, SSN numbers are transposed, etc. In short, errors happen. You need to make sure they have the right record.
The only thing a background check should show is an arrest and dropped charges. If all that the record is showing is the arrest, especially on such serious charges, it is no wonder they did not want you there. If that is the case, you need to get yourself an attorney to work on getting the record corrected or sealed. It is possible to do this yourself, but it can turn out to be a complicated process, especially when dealing with a large court system like Boston.