Expungement
An expungement is a chance to help “clean” up ones criminal history. An expungement allows a defendant to withdraw their plea of guilty or no contest, and have a not guilty plea entereted, and to have the case dismissed. The legal effect of an expungement is often misunderstood. You need an expungement attorney that understands the process and can facilitate making your expungement the most effective for your case.
It is important to consult with a knowledgable attorney before applying for an expungement. Many spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on an expungement only to find out that it does nothing to help them. An example would be the defendant who obtains an expungement for immigration purposes. Even after an expungement order is signed, the government will have access to the conviction, and immigration ignores the expungement, and as a result it will have no legal effect on an individuals immigration application. Similarly someone applying for a government license such as a contractor, doctor, attorney etc. will still be required to disclose all arrests, even if the underlying case was eventually expunged.
Expungement attorney Craig Renetzky provides all individuals who are interested in obtaining an expungement a free consultation to help determine if it is really something that would be beneficial to pursue.
Contact our office today to schedule a free consultation about your expungement.
I was arrested in March 2005 and received a felony conviction on the charge possession of a controlled substance with intent for sale. I received no jail time with 3 year probation. i violated my probation once but it was reinstated. I completed my 3 years of probation, paid all fees, completed a drug rehabilitation program. Can you reduce this felony to a misdemeanor first before applying for an expungement. Please also advise your fees. also i’d like to know if it would be possible and how much it would cost to seal the records. Thanks for your time
The type of charge “intent to sale” also known as possession for sale, is a straight felony. It can not be reduced to a misdemeanor under California (Assuming it is a violation of Health and Safety Section 11378, or 11351). I can still expunge this case, and the fees vary depending on which court. The fees charged by the court also vary depending on the county.
Comment by Ella — March 10, 2009 @ 11:27 pm
I have a friend that is a citizen of Chile and currently resides there at the moment as his P1 Visa expired 2 years ago. He wants to know this question. Between 2002 & 2007 he had a P1 visa for Pro Sports in California. He acquired 3 DUI’s which were all expunged from the DMV. He now has a job offer for another P1 Visa and was told that his chances of approval are slim because even if DMV is expunged it is not at the Embassy. Is this true? Does he need a lawyer to expunge the govt file? We are confused as some say yes or some say no?
Sincerely,
Nancy
ATTORNEY RESPONSE:< strong>
There is no easy answer to this question. 3 DUI’s can cause all types of problems. Therefore you are getting both yes and no answers. The best thing to do is to contact our office for a free consultation at 818-509-0266 Expungments do not help in immigration matters.
Comment by nancy — July 5, 2009 @ 10:00 pm