Filing an expunction to clear a criminal record is actual a civil lawsuit. It is filed in the District Court typically and costs around $250 just to file. Provided the case warrants an expunction, there is generally not even a real "contested" hearing, meaning the State generally does not oppose the petition/motion/lawsuit. However, it is rare to actually get an expunction. The only cases that fall in this category are Governor pardons or cases that got dismissed BEFORE going to court, meaning you can't have plead to it or done some sort of deferred probation. The exception, of course, is an acquittal, AFTER winning the trial. Usually, people are looking for a "nondisclosure," to get their dismissed alleged crime out of the public eye and off of the internet, e.g. This is handled by filing a similar lawsuit and arguing why the public should not be privy to the information and is generally only valid if the case was eventually dismissed, not just because someone wants it "off" their record. The main exception is any case where there was a finding of family violence - these cases can't be non-disclosed. Expunctions make it possible for someone to literally say that they have never even been arrested for the crime. Let me know if you need more information.
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