Expungements and criminal record clean up are important to your future. In Vista Courts and throughout California, there are legal proceedures available to help clean up your criminal record. These include expungements, reduction of felonies to misdemeanors, dismissals and reductions per prop 64, reductions per prop 47, and certificates of rehabilitation. All of these things can greatly assist you in cleaning up your criminal record and in being more successful in the future.
Expungements are available for most misdemeanors and many felonies as long as you did not go to state prison. An expungement does not seal your record, but allows for the withdrawal of your guilty plea, entry of a not guilty and dismissal of the charge for most purposes. (See California Penal Code 1203.4 et seq.) The conviction can be used as a prior for future prosections and does not authorize possession of a firearm if the charge was one that prohibited such possession. Additionally, California Labor Code prevents expunged offenses from being used for hiring, firing, termination or denial of promotion in California.
Reduction to misdemeanor is also one of the most important ways to clean your record. Many felonies are able to be reduced to misdemeanors which may also allow you to get gun rights back. The felony becomes a misdemeanor for all purposes and you no longer have a felony on your record. To be eligible, you must not have gone to prison on the charge and it must be an eligible felony. Usually, attorneys will try to reduce eligible felonies to misdemeanors and expunge them at the same time.
New Laws, like prop 47, allows reduction to misdemeanors of prior convictions for many theft related and drug possession charges. Also Prop 64 decriminalizing recreational marijuana provides for individuals to get prior marijuana related charges dismissed or reduced to misdemeanors in many cases.
Certificates of rehabilitation are available if you served a state prison term. See California Penal Code 4852 et seq. This can help in getting vocational licensing and demonstrating your rehabilitation. It is also the first step in a Governors pardon.
There are many ways to clean up your criminal record, make you more employable. You should contact a criminal defense attorney who can explain to you the process, the value of the various tools available and help you be more successful in your future. Call Christoph Law Offices at 760-941-5720 for a free initial consultation. We have been located across from Vista Courts for over 34 years and provide the highest level of personal and professional representation.
