It’s a new year and a great time to clean up any past criminal history. Here in Washington State, an individual is allowed to remove one criminal conviction through a legal process called expungement.
What is an expungement? An expungement, also known as vacating a record, sealing a record, or record sealing, is the legal process of clearing a past criminal conviction and removing it from general view. Only certain misdemeanor and felony criminal convictions are eligible for the expungement process and specific requirements must be met before a judge will grant an expungement.
Some misdemeanor convictions that may be eligible for expungement include:
- Assault 4th Degree
- Theft 3rd Degree
- Reckless Driving
- Negligent Driving
- Other Misdemeanors
Some felony convictions that may be eligible for expungement include:
- Burglary
- Criminal Trespassing
- Class B & Class C Felonies
- Drug Offenses
The expungement process is very complicated and an individual should hire an expungement attorney, such as the experienced expungement attorneys at David O Defense, to prepare and present the proper documents to the judge and prosecutor. It is important to realize that granting an expungement is a discretionary decision made by the judge, and they can choose to deny the expungement even if all requirements are met. The attorneys at David O Defense will present a client’s expungement case in the most persuasive manner possible, greatly increasing the probability of having the client’s expungement granted.
Once an expungement is granted, for the most part it looks like it never happened and the past conviction will not need to be divulged on documents such as a job application or rental application.
If you have a criminal charge that you would like removed, call the experienced expungement attorneys at David O Defense today, 206-459-6392, to see if you are eligible and meet the requirements. Start your New Year off right, call today!
To read more about expungements, click here.
