Expungements and Sealing Criminal Records Requests

Have you suffered a felony conviction?  Is that conviction preventing you from moving on in your life and pursuing a new job?  Is the conviction preventing you from the full enjoyment of your life? 

California offers a process to remove prior felonies in certain circumstances.  An expungement can potentially reduce the felony to a misdemeanor and remove it from your record of arrest and prosecution (RAP).

In recent years, California has taken the lead across the country in recognizing that while a crime was committed, the purpose of the system is supposed to be deterrence and rehabilitation.  Having a felony on your record forever does not support the ideology that a person has served their time, completed their probationary period, parole, or other supervision, and has satisfied the terms placed upon them in the original conviction. To further this objective, California has removed the fees associated with cleaning up your criminal record.  The previous fees of up to a thousand dollars per felony have been removed. 

The attorneys in Griffin Legal Defense have worked in pro bono clinics helping clients draft their forms.  They have worked in District Attorney Office’s reviewing the packets for approval and have worked with private clients successfully obtaining expungement of crimes. 

Even if your first try at an expungement is unsuccessful, there is no limit on applying for an expungement immediately afterwards as perhaps a different District Attorney will be reviewing the packets that particular day.

To obtain an expungement you must have served whatever time was sentenced.  You must have successfully completed your term of supervision.  The term of supervision is supposed to be violation free.  You must also have been crime free for a year.  If there were any fines, fees, or restitution, this must have been satisfied in full prior to an expungement.

After completion of everything you are eligible to apply for expungement.  This involves obtaining your RAP, a copy of the judgment entered against you, and the proper forms filled out and submitted.  It is possible there could be a hearing to determine eligibility for an expungement.