RecordGone.com Helps California Nurses Expunge Criminal Records to Meet More Stringent Licensing Standards
Costa Mesa, CA (PRWEB) November 13, 2008 -- The California Board of Registered Nursing has unanimously passed more stringent standards that require nurses to submit fingerprints and undergo background checks when their license comes up for renewal every two years. Registered Nurses must indicate if they have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony during the last renewal period, and the board will then review convictions on a case by case basis.
"A nurse's ability to earn a living may now depend on getting a criminal conviction expunged," said attorney Matthew K. Higbee, whose law firm, RecordGone.com (http://www.recordgone.com) specializes in criminal record expungement (http://www.recordgone.com/california.htm). "Previously, registered nurses only had to report their prior convictions upon employment, and never again. Now that they will be reporting their records every two years, we expect to see an increase in nurses who want to have their records cleared."
The unanimous vote by the board came after a Los Angeles Times investigation found 115 recent cases where the state did not pull a nurse's license until that nurse racked up three or more criminal convictions.
"When a nurse has a criminal conviction, the licensing board will investigate the matter and often file an action against the license," said Mary Work, a California attorney who represents Registered Nurses and other professionals facing license discipline. "It is important to clear the criminal record as soon as possible. The key to defending a license discipline brought on by a criminal conviction is to show that the licensee is fully rehabilitated. Termination of probation (http://www.recordgone.com/probation_termination.htm) and expungement of the criminal record (http://www.recordgone.com/expungement.htm) are two important factors which help establish rehabilitation."
California licenses 343,000 active registered nurses, the largest number in the nation. Although convictions must still be reported if they have been dismissed, reduced, or expunged, the board will be more likely to approve a license renewal if a candidate has worked to clear their record.
"If nurses begin the process to have their records expunged now, they will have an increased chance of having their license renewed now that background checks are being implemented," said Higbee. "Although the state board reserves the right to review each case, a majority of our clients have a successful outcome and are relieved to have their records cleared."
For more information about criminal record expungement in California and several other states, visit RecordGone.com.
About RecordGone.com
RecordGone.com is a DBA of the Law Offices of Mathew K. Higbee, a national law firm serving California, Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Utah. The firm charges a flat-fee for record expungement that is guaranteed to be the lowest price available and offers a money-back guarantee. Licensed attorneys are available for free phone consultations and online chat at www.recordgone.com.
Contact:
Matthew K. Higbee
Phone:714-361-1967
Fax: 866-534-7049
Email: attorney@recordgone.com
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