Pardons, or executive clemency, in the state of Florida are granted by the Governor. A convicted offender will be rid of their criminal record and an offender’s civil rights can be restored.
Expungement is a powerful limitation of law enforcement and public access to criminal records. When a criminal record has been expunged, the courts and all other government agencies that have possession of an individual’s record must physically destroy them. If an inquiry is made by a government agency of an individual’s criminal record, all they would receive is a statement indicating that the individual’s Criminal Information has been Expunged from this Record.
Sealing of criminal records prevents the public from viewing an individual’s criminal history. Some government entities do, however, have access to your record. In exceptionally uncommon cases, a judge may order a criminal record to be unsealed.