A purge, or record destruction, is a process in which a petition is made to an arresting police force to destroy information related to any kind of incident that did not result in a conviction. A purge or destruction can be completed for any of the following:
Federal Identification Files (Fingerprints and Photographs)
Arrest Records/Local Police Files
Records of Withdrawn Charges or Stayed proceedings
Records of Acquittals
Conditional and Absolute Discharges given prior to July 1992
Court Records of Conditional and Absolute Discharges
Such files normally result from arrests/investigations which did not result in full convictions for various reasons. The purge or file destruction typically includes destruction of any fingerprints or photographs taken at the time of arrest.
These types of records often come to light in record searches and background checks, yet they cannot be considered for a pardon. Applying for a purge will remove this information from the system.
