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