Is It Possible to Clean My Criminal Record?

It goes without saying that it is best NOT to get into trouble and get arrested. “Harmless” crimes like theft can potentially, though unlikely if it is just one minor non-violent incident, weaken chances of getting a job or getting a new apartment if it goes on a criminal record. However, in some cases, it is possible to get certain violations erased off records.

This process is known as expungement, and what happens is the court reopens the criminal case. The charges are dismissed and the guilty verdict is withdrawn. The case is closed without a conviction, dismissed in the “interests of justice.” The record of the case will continue to exist but it will no longer be on the person’s criminal record. So, if this was the only case on a person’s criminal record, they no longer have to check “yes” on an application that asks if they were ever convicted.

Expungement in California is limited to misdemeanors, or felonies that could have been charged as misdemeanors where the defendant was thus sentenced to a harsher punishment. Besides serious crimes, there are other convictions that are not eligible for expungement, such as serious vehicular violations that result in two or more points on driving records.

Call us at 1-800-793-2245 anytime, to answer any questions you might have about Expungement in California.