It is easy to get a criminal record. Simply being accused of a crime will lead to the police making a record of the event, even if the person is not charged. Such records, usually called incident or occurrence reports, are often disclosed in police record searches. If the police do decide to lay charges, which they will do if they have the slightest belief that the person is guilty, fingerprints and photographs are taken. Although the charge may not ultimately result in a conviction -- for example, if the case is thrown out of court or the person is found innocent -- much to everyone's disbelief, a criminal record still exists.
The vast majority of people with criminal records are everyday folk. They have jobs. They are mothers and fathers. They pay taxes. They look like you and me. They use 1 name, not 5 aliases. They don't own guns, and they don't 'hang out' in gangs.
In Canada 4.5 million adults (1 in 5) have been charged with a crime. More than 500,000 people are charged with a crime each year, and in 2010 more than 2 million crimes were reported by the police. It means that you, or one of your family members, a friend, a neighbour, or someone else you care about has, will acquire, or has removed a criminal record!
About the Author: As Founder and General Counsel of Pardons Canada for over 20 years, Antree Demakos gained unique insight into how criminal records affect people's lives. Her hands-on experience with more than 250,000 successful record removal and U.S.A. entry applications placed Antree in a central position to analyze the numerous laws and regulations impacting criminal records. In addition to developing comprehensive procedural and training systems, she also acted as both advocate and liaison in dealing with domestic and foreign government offices, including courts, police services, the Parole Board, the RCMP, Immigration Canada, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.
As a lawyer, Antree recognized the public's need for access to quality legal information. As a result, in 1993 she co-founded LegalLine, Canada's FREE legal information resource. To date, LegalLine.ca has answered over 8 million enquiries.
Antree is also the author of Your Guide to Canadian Law, a 670-page bestselling reference book, now in its 5th printing.
