Expungements

If you have already been convicted of a crime in the past, regardless of who you were represented by, contact Attorney Jeffrey R. Lawrence to see if he can help you expunge your criminal convictions and clean up your record.

Expunging your criminal record means that your prior conviction was set aside by the judge.  If you have a conviction expunged, you are considered not to have been convicted for most purposes.  For example, you can honestly tell potential private employers that you have a clean criminal record, and your conviction can only be used for very limited purposes, such as increasing your sentence if you are convicted of a new offense.  However, there is an exception for state licensing agencies, such doctors, lawyers, and teachers, as they will always have access to your conviction. Getting your criminal record expunged can make it much easier for you to get a job, housing, or credit. If you have a criminal record, you probably already know how much harder it makes many things in life. If you can get your record expunged, the law treats you, in most cases, as if you had never been convicted.

In California, motions to expunge one’s criminal record are governed by PC §1203.4 and PC §1203.4(a).  This motion is never a “sure thing,” as sometimes prosecutors will oppose expungment motions and judges will exercise their discretion to deny them.  If you think this might happen in your case, then you really need an experienced lawyer like Jeffrey R. Lawrence on your side to advocate for your position.

Both adult convictions and juvenile adjudications can be expunged, but the process is different and not everyone will be eligible, because you must meet very specific criteria.  Additionally, each county in California also has different forms and fees that must be complied with and the motion for expungment usually has to be filed in the county where the conviction occurred.   Attorney Jeffrey R. Lawrence has successfully handled expungments for several clients in multiple jurisdictions, and he can help you clean up your record, too.