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Mel Gibson Petitions For An Expungement

Mel Gibson Petitions For An Expungement

Actor Mel Gibson is trying to clean up his criminal record by petitioning the court for an expungement to remove his no contest plea to a battery charge.  Back in March of 2011, Gibson pled no contest to slapping his wife, Oksana Grigorieva, across the face knocking out several veneers.

Gibson’s motion hearing is set for later this month where he will provide proof that he has completed all terms and conditions set by the judge during the 2011 battery sentencing, which included; 16 hours of community service, 52 weeks of counseling, 3 years of probation, and adhering to “peaceful contact” at all times with his ex-wife, Grigorieva.  After reviewing the motion, the judge will decide to grant or deny the expungement.

What is an expungement?  An expungement, also known as sealing a record or record sealing, is the legal processes of clearing a past criminal conviction and removing it from general view.  Only certain criminal charges are eligible for the expungement process and specific requirements must be met before a judge will grant an expungement.  Once an expungement is granted, for the most part it looks like it never happened and the past conviction would not need to be divulged on documents such as a job application.

Mel Gibson is no stranger to the expungement process.  Back in 2009, the Brave Heart actor was granted an expungement of a 2006 DUI that occurred in Malibu California.   Gibson was a first time DUI offender and was eligible to have the DUI expunged after he completed all of his DUI sentencing terms.  The motion was heard by Judge Lawrence J. Mira, and only took minutes for the DUI record seal to be granted.

If you would like to seal a past criminal conviction that occurred in Washington State, please contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at David O Defense to see if you are eligible, 206-459-6392.  Please don’t hesitate to call if you have further questions pertaining to the expungement process, our defense lawyers are here to help!  206-459-6392.

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Written by Defense Attorney, David O
Co-Written by Sarah Ann

Juvenile Record Sealing: Give Your Child a Second Chance at a Bright Future

Juvenile Record Sealing: Give Your Child a Second Chance at a Bright Future

If your child has been arrested as a juvenile with a crime and has gone through a juvenile adjudication, anyone who is interested can find out. The public can access this juvenile criminal record via the internet, the Washington State Patrol, or the courthouse. The easy public access to your child’s criminal record will affect his or her future in many drastic ways.

First, he or she may not be able to pursue his or her desired career because many employers conduct criminal background checks. If your child wants to work with children or hold a job that allows unsupervised access to children, a criminal record will definitely stand in the way. Moreover, federal law bars certain types of felons from working in specific fields, like the generic drug industry or airport security.

Second, private and public housing landlords are allowed to request criminal background checks. As a result, your child may have a difficult time finding a place to live.

Third, a felony juvenile adjudication may disqualify your child from serving in the military, because, among other things, a juvenile criminal record prevents a person from possessing a firearm. There are also other areas of life that are negatively impacted by juvenile criminal records, like college acceptance and obtaining various tax benefits.

Luckily, there is a process that an attorney can help you with that will hide your child’s criminal record from the public. This multi-step process is called “record sealing.” Your child’s juvenile record can be sealed if he or she (1) does not owe any court-ordered fines, (2) has no criminal charges pending, and (3) has either been crime free for 2 years for anything lower than a Class A felony or 5 years for a class A felony.

Speak with a defense attorney from David O Defense to see if your child is eligible for juvenile record sealing. We also recommend that you meet with us to determine the proper procedure for record sealing based on the conviction and to help you get through every step of the process correctly. Give your child a fresh start by sealing his or her criminal record. If this issue applies to you or your child, please call 206-459-6392 for a consultation.

 

Written by Anastasia Kidniz

 

Assault by Lindsay Lohan?

Assault by Lindsay Lohan?

Lindsay, Lindsay, Lindsay, she just can’t stay away from legal trouble.  This time TMZ.com reported Lindsay Lohan allegedly punched a women in the left side of the face at Club Avenue, a New York nightclub.  Lindsay was arrested Nov. 29th at 4 in the morning and charged with 3rd degree misdemeanor assault.  Lohan is pissed about the situation and believes the victim, a women named Tiffany Mitchell, is fabricating the accusation to get her to write a check.

Tiffany Mitchell has already hired big time attorney Gloria Allred to sue Lohan for damages.  Attorney to the stars, Gloria Allred may have a tougher case than she anticipates, photos of Mitchell leaving the club have leaked and don’t show any bruising or damage to the left side of her face.  Also, a photo released today doesn’t indicate assault to the face, on the contrary, Mitchell’s facial skin looks flawless.  Not a smart move by attorney and victim to have photos taken displaying a picture perfect face.

Lohan has hired a private investigator to dive into Mitchell’s criminal history and past lawsuits.  Lindsay is claiming she never laid a hand on Tiffany and the only contact they had in the club was a confrontation to get her purse back that Lohan thought Mitchell had taken.

Police detectives have confiscated the club’s surveillance tape to hopefully provide evidence to who is really telling the truth about the assault!

Bad news for Lindsay, this assault charge could be a probation violation on a prior case.  It’s the judges discretion to determine the penalty for the probation violation.  She could be fined, face jail time, be assigned to work crew, etc.

 

Written by S.O