First, the remedy for a prejudicial record after remedial efforts have been incorporated into one's life will not ride on the eloquence of the rhetoric, but to the passage of time without legal incident. Second, the remedy is to have the record sealed, not expunged. Expungement is a very rarely used remedy for a situation in which the arrest itself was a total error. A disputed inability to convict will not qualify. Something like arresting the wrong twin MIGHT qualify. If you want your record sealed, you can do one of two things. You can either wait for the statutory time to elapse (5 years for a misdemeanor and 10 years for a felony) or you can petition the court based upon need and remedial life change. There is no guaranteed formula for what works. It is a combination of time passed since your last contact with the courts, the nature of your offenses, the actions you have taken as evidence of your sincerity and efforts, and some compelling needs such as difficulties obtaining employment and or education. I would recommend hiring a lawyer to compile the facts and advocate on your behalf kif you plan on requesting your record be sealed before the statutory 5 or 10 years.
Answered on Sep 06th, 2012 at 3:32 PM