Having any association with past criminal activity on your record can have a dramatic impact on both your private and public life in California. It can keep you from working in certain sectors, securing housing, and even enjoying the exercise of certain civil liberties.
For many of our past clients here at The Law Office of Brandon S. Nadia, those associations occurred during their teenage years (when a lack of maturity might have lead them into actions they would now avoid). If that describes your situation, then you will certainly want to know what your options might be in having such activity removed from any public records.
Sealing records of juvenile offenses
According to the Judicial Branch of California, you may qualify to have the record of certain juvenile offenses sealed. Juvenile courts will automatically seal records adjudicated after January 1, 2015 provided that your actions did not constitute an offense under Section 707(b) of California’s Welfare and Institutions Code. Per state law, if your case meets this criteria, the court must dismiss it upon the completion of your probationary period. Having your record sealed (while not necessarily a total expungement) would essentially make it as if the offense never occurred in regards to public records.
For offenses ruled upon prior to the aforementioned date, you must petition the court to have your records sealed.
Concealing the record of violent offenses
In your prior involvement with the legal system dealt with offenses detailed in Section 707(b), you can still seek to have such records sealed. The only exceptions would be the following scenarios:
- Your offense mandated that you register under as a sex offender
- Your conviction came in an adult criminal court
- Prosecutors tried you as an adult for offenses involving “moral turpitude”
You can find more information on dealing with criminal charges throughout our site.