Setting aside an old conviction
A case from years ago, with the sentence finished, can sometimes be reopened for one purpose: to set it aside.
If the court agrees, your record is updated to show the case set aside, and on most employer and landlord checks it no longer reads as a conviction. We start by reading your record and your sentence, then tell you in writing whether to file now or wait.
Often a fit when
The sentence, probation and payments are finished
Some time has passed with no new case
The offense is one your state allows to be set aside
A job, lease or license keeps asking about it
What the judge weighs
Every court has its own list. These come up in almost all of them.
The charge and sentence
The charge, the sentence, and whether the offense is on the list the law allows.
Time since
How long since the sentence ended, and whether anything new has come up.
Your life since then
Work, family, school, and letters from people who know you.
Questions about old convictions
Is a conviction ever completely erased?
Usually it is set aside rather than destroyed. Courts, law enforcement and some licensing boards can still see it, which is why we explain what stays visible.
Can a felony be set aside?
Some can, and some cannot. It depends on the offense and on your state, and the review gives you a straight answer before you spend more.
What if I was convicted in another state?
That state's rules usually decide. We tell you early if your case belongs with a lawyer there, and we will not take a case we cannot help with.
Have a conviction you want looked at?
The review says whether to file now. The conviction package is one flat fee, plus court and agency fees.