All criminal and traffic convictions in Connecticut are now posted online for free and easy access.

Criminal records have always been public records, but in the past it's been something of a bureaucratic challenge for most people to dig them up. But know I am entering an era where this kind of information is quickly and instantly available.

It is now easy to imagine a day in the very near future when a Google search will instantly show your criminal conviction for anyone doing a search on your name.

A criminal conviction in Connecticut will not just follow you around for the rest of your life, but can brand you for all to see.

Now more than ever, you need an experienced criminal defense lawyer to defend you in court. You will want an attorney who will do everything possible to try to avoid a “life sentence” to your online existence.

Now is the only time you can do anything about it. Once you plead guilty, it is too late.