In the common law legal system, an expungement proceeding is a type of lawsuit in which a first time offender of a prior criminal conviction seeks that the records of that earlier process be sealed, thereby making the records unavailable through the state or Federal repositories. If successful, the records are said to be 'expunged'. When an expungement is granted, the person whose record is expunged may, for most purposes, treat the event as if it never occurred.
It is actually a fairly simple process to get an expungement but it can be extremely expensive, depending on your lawyer. The only way to find out how much it will cost is by asking your lawyer as they will vary considerably. Expect to pay somewhere around $800. To begin the process you must first of all obtain the proper paperwork from your state/county of residence. Go to the website of the state/county and request a criminal records expungement form. You can usually find these forms under the 'courts' section on the state/county website. You can also request this information by calling the state/county of interest. Fill out the forms and mail them in. You can also add a letter which should be written in a formal business style which explains why you believe you should be entitled to an expungement. Include details of your arrest and explain why your previous offence is irrelevant to the current case.
Remember that there can be a long waiting period when attempting to receive an expungement of a felony conviction, so be patient. This waiting period can last up to four months. You will be informed of a date you will need to be in court and you will be required to provide the judge with an oral or written explanation as to why he/she should expunge your felony conviction. At the end of the hearing, the judge will either grant or deny an expungement of your felony conviction.
It is actually a fairly simple process to get an expungement but it can be extremely expensive, depending on your lawyer. The only way to find out how much it will cost is by asking your lawyer as they will vary considerably. Expect to pay somewhere around $800. To begin the process you must first of all obtain the proper paperwork from your state/county of residence. Go to the website of the state/county and request a criminal records expungement form. You can usually find these forms under the 'courts' section on the state/county website. You can also request this information by calling the state/county of interest. Fill out the forms and mail them in. You can also add a letter which should be written in a formal business style which explains why you believe you should be entitled to an expungement. Include details of your arrest and explain why your previous offence is irrelevant to the current case.
Remember that there can be a long waiting period when attempting to receive an expungement of a felony conviction, so be patient. This waiting period can last up to four months. You will be informed of a date you will need to be in court and you will be required to provide the judge with an oral or written explanation as to why he/she should expunge your felony conviction. At the end of the hearing, the judge will either grant or deny an expungement of your felony conviction.