Why go to the trouble of Expungement?

Expungement is a legal process that involves altering or changing a person's criminal record in a favorable way. There are different types of expungement and the type used is dependant on the particular criminal case. There are many benefits to having your case expunged. One of the more significant benefits is being able to deny a conviction when asked by a potential employer.

The law that will apply to your case will be determined by the answer to several questions;

Were you a juvenile or an adult at the time of the conviction?
Was the conviction for a misdemeanor or felony?
Were you placed on probation?
Did you go to a state prison?
and many others...

The expungement process usually requires a lawyer to file a motion, which is part of the legal process to ask the court to take a certain action. This motion will need to be filed with the court that sentenced you originally. These court papers will also probably need to be served on the prosecutor and possibly others. You will need to be prepared to convince the court and prosecutor that you are now an upstanding citizen and that justice would be served by your request being granted.

Obtaining an expungement of a prior criminal conviction is a great way to move forward with you life and put the mistakes of the past behind you. You may be able to have a clean slate without the weight on your record of a prior conviction.

If, based on your circumstances, you are not eligible to have your conviction or arrest removed from your record, you may be eligible for a pardon. A pardon sets aside punishment for a crime and restores the rights and privileges forfeited on account of the offense. Obtaining a pardon can be an involved procedure with numerous applications and hearings.