Can I get my criminal case expunged?

00:01 So, can you get your criminal case expunged? In California, yes, you can. This is called a dismissal under Penal Code Section

00:08 1203.4. So, in most cases,

00:12 the court dismisses your conviction after you've completed your sentence or your probationary period successfully.

00:18 So, you usually file a petition in the county wherever you were convicted and

00:23 the judge considers it and then grants it or denies it based on, you know, their evaluation of your case.

00:29 Many older convictions now are cleared automatically and a lot of misdemeanors often have an automatic expungement

00:36 as well.

00:38 So, it's important or pertinent to have an attorney kind of look at what the

00:43 conviction is in order to give you a better assessment.

00:46 Most misdemeanors and most felonies qualify as long as you're not currently on probation, serving the sentence, or facing new charges.

00:54 Certain sex offenses that involve children and some serious prison cases

00:59 don't qualify for expungements.

01:01 So, once the expungement is granted or once your case is dismissed, you can usually tell private employers

01:09 you haven't been convicted. So, it's as if it didn't happen.

01:12 However, it's not going to restore any gun rights that were taken away or end your sex offender registration if you had to do that

01:19 or fix any immigration issues that you may face as a result of that conviction.

01:24 And it also has to be disclosed always for any government jobs or professional licenses that you apply for.

01:31 So, this area of law is very, very nuanced. So, if you want the best, you know,

01:38 evaluation of whether or not your case is

01:42 expungement appropriate, I definitely recommend contacting an attorney.