Attorney Rusty Robert R. Rittenhouse

Shannon started her career as a cosmetologist, but she always enjoyed the other side of the business. After going back to school and earning an accounting degree, Shannon joined the law firm in 2013. Since then, she has been the firm’s head “bean counter”. Her responsibilities have further grown to office management, bookkeeping, receptionist, and legal assistant. She now has over 10 years of experience working in a law office and assisting clients. Along the way, she has learned that it takes an entire office team to keep a law office running smoothly. She has further grown to appreciate the importance of estate planning, including having a Last Will Testament, Durable Power of Attorney, Healthcare Power of Attorney, and Living Will. She has also come to accept, that contrary to stereotypes, not all attorneys are “blood sucking parasites” (reference to the Bee Movie). In her spare time, Shannon enjoys learning about the history of geographic locations. She also has a fascination for the paranormal and has visited numerous spooky destinations across the country.

Ohio law on the sealing and expungement of criminal convictions went through a major overhaul in 2023. That has made many people eligible for sealing or expungement of their misdemeanor and felony convictions who previously were not eligible.

In the past, sealing a criminal record was often referred to as an expungement, though the two processes have different legal implications. As laws evolve, individuals whose records were simply sealed may now be eligible for a true expungement, which erases the record entirely. To understand your eligibility and options, a consultation with one of our attorneys can guide you through the process.

For felonies the specific kind of conviction is important in determining whether a conviction is sealable or expungable. Generally speaking, the new expungement laws have made many non-violent fourth- and fifth-degree felony convictions sealable and expungable that previously may not have been. This is because in the past to be eligible a person could only have one felony conviction, where the new law allows people with multiple non-violent fourth- and fifth-degree felonies to seal and expunge their records. Likewise, people with multiple misdemeanor convictions are eligible for expungement, though certain misdemeanor crimes of violence and s*x crimes remain unsealable and inexpugnable.

If you are interested in sealing or expungement, you should contact our attorneys to find out if you are eligible.

Telephone: (740) 593 – 3348
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://johnplavelle.com/

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This was prototype logo for Lavelle and Rittenhouse. While it looks like we are going in a different direction, I appreciate the elegant design of this early draft.

I’m proud to announce that our law firm’s name is changing to “Lavelle and Rittenhouse, LLC”. I’ve become an equity owner and will be partners with John P. Lavelle. Everything else will remain essentially the same. Same location, same hours, same attorneys, same legal services, and same commitment to clients. We appreciate your continued trust in us and look forward to continuing to serve the people of Southeastern Ohio.