Expungement Lawyer in Raleigh
A conviction can be damaging to your future, whether it is a felony conviction or a misdemeanor. Contact a Raleigh expunction attorney at Coolidge Law Firm to help seal your criminal record. The attorneys can help you through the process and work with you to effectively clear your criminal record.
Coolidge Law Firm represents clients throughout the Wake County area, including Raleigh, Apex, Rolesville, Garner, Wake Forest, Cary, Morrisville, Fuquay-Varina, and Knightdale.Coolidge Law Firm also works with students at the region’s highly regarded schools, including Duke University, North Carolina State University, Wake Tech, and UNC-Chapel Hill. Call to schedule a free consultation.
Record Sealing and Expungement Attorney in Raleigh
A criminal record can have a lasting effect on your life. It can create difficult experiences when applying for jobs or schools, seeking housing, or getting assistance from governmental entities. A criminal record can create barriers that can hold you back. However, there may be the option of expunction. In North Carolina, an expunction is the destruction of a criminal record by court order.
An expunction, also referred to as an expungement, of a criminal record restores the person to the status he occupied before the criminal record existed. Expungement is not available for all offenders, but a criminal defense attorney can help you decide if seeking an expunction may be an option for you.
Information on Expungement and Record Sealing
- Criminal Records That Can Be Sealed in North Carolina
- Process of Sealing Records in North Carolina
- Expungement of Juvenile Offenses in Raleigh
- Recent Expunction Legislation
Criminal Records That Can Be Sealed in North Carolina
Under North Carolina law, people who have only one non-violent conviction on their record may be eligible for expunction. This does not include traffic violations. This law, under N.C.G.S. § 15A-145.5, allows for the expunction of certain non-violent misdemeanor and felony convictions with no limitation on age.
The crime, however, cannot be a Class A through G felony or a Class A1 misdemeanor. The offense also cannot be violent, sexually based, or involve methamphetamines, heroin, or possession with intent to sell or deliver or sell and deliver cocaine. The person must wait 15 years from the date of the conviction before filing a petition to have the record expunged.
Process of Sealing Records in North Carolina
Even if a person meets the criteria to have a record expunged, it is not done automatically. A person must file a petition, in the court where the person was convicted, for expunction of a nonviolent misdemeanor or nonviolent felony.
The petition must include:
- An affidavit by the petitioner that the he or she has been of good moral character since the date of conviction and has not been convicted of any other crime, excluding traffic violations
- Verified affidavits of two persons who are not related to the petitioner or to each other by blood or marriage testifying to the petitioner’s good moral character
- A statement that the petition is a motion in the cause in the case wherein the petitioner was convicted
- An affidavit by the petitioner that no restitution orders or civil judgments representing amounts ordered for restitution entered against the petitioner are outstanding
The district attorney will have 30 days from when to petition is filed to object. The court may grant the district attorney another 30 days to object to the position if necessary. The presiding judge can call upon a probation officer for any additional investigation or verification of the petitioner’s conduct since the conviction. The court also can review any other information the court deems relevant.
If the expungement is granted, all law enforcement agencies, including local agencies, with records of the offense will seal the records. Employers that perform background checks on prospective employees would not have knowledge of the conviction or even the charge if it had been expunged, according to N.C.G.S. § 15A-145.5.
Expungement of Juvenile Offenses
Offenders under age 18 also could have their criminal records sealed, but they also must meet certain criteria. For example, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-145.4 allows a person the expungement of a misdemeanor conviction if the offense was committed before the person’s 18th birthday.
The person must wait until two years have elapsed following the later of either the conviction or the completion of probation before petitioning to have it expunged. The juvenile cannot have a subsequent misdemeanor or felony conviction.
Nonviolent felony convictions for juveniles under age 18 also could be expunged if the person had no prior or subsequent convictions, excluding traffic violations. The petitioner has to wait at least for years since the date of the conviction before he or she can apply to have it expunged. The juvenile also must have performed 100 hours of community service since conviction and has earned a high school diploma or GED.
Offenders under age 22 could file to have certain drug convictions expunged, including some misdemeanor and felony possession charges. The accused must wait at least 12 months after the date of the conviction before filing a petition. He or she also must not have any other convictions.
Recent Expunction Legislation in North Carolina
In 2017, the General Assembly made several changes to North Carolina’s expunction laws. Expungement or expunction, is when a first time offender of a prior criminal conviction seeks to have the records of their earlier trials to be sealed. Once they are sealed, the records will be unviable through the state or Federal repositories.
The act expands availability of expunction in two ways. One is the reduction of the waiting period to expunge any older nonviolent misdemeanor or felony conviction. The other is the ability to expunge a dismissal regardless of whether the person has received prior expunctions.
Alongside this, prosecutors now have the ability to gain access to prior expunction records and use them for defendants with subsequent offenses. The following is more details regarding the expansion of the expunction bar and the abilities that prosecutors have gaining information from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC).
Reduced Waiting Period for Expunctions
The General Assembly passed the bill 15A-145.5 that has permitted shorter waiting periods to apply to expunge any older nonviolent felonies and misdemeanors. Now, any nonviolent felony has a waiting period of 10 years rather than 15. On the other hand, a nonviolent misdemeanor now has a waiting period of 5 years rather than 15 for expunction.
The waiting period for the expunction process is dependent on your case. It can begin either at the date of the conviction, after any active sentence, period of probation, or when the post release supervision has been served. Depending on whichever is served latest, a petition can be filed after the 10 or 5 year waiting period for a nonviolent felony or misdemeanor.
Eliminated Limit on Expunction of Dismissals
The General Assembly has now expanded the limit for expunctions for dismissals in court. G.S. 15A-146 states that a person can now expunge dismissals by the court or prosecutors if he or she has not been previously obtained an expunction under certain statutes.
Amended subsection (a1) of the act states that a person can now expunge multiple dismissals. In addition to this, there is no requirement for the offenses to have occurred within the same 12 month period. Lastly, a person can receive an expunction for a dismissal even if they have past convictions of misdemeanors in the same case.
Alongside this, amended subsection (a2) now allows expunctions of findings for not guilty verdicts. A not guilty verdict is not subject to the new reporting requirements for prosecutors in G.S. 15A-145.5.
New Prosecutors Ability to Access Prior Expunctions
The recent 2017 General Assembly act now allows prosecutors access to prior expunctions through the AOC. A prosecutor now has the ability to use most expunctions to determine a person’s prior record level for subsequent offense. They can only access this if the record was expunged on or after July 1, 2018.
G.S. 15A-145.5 states that the information from the AOC is considered prima facie evidence. The term Prima facie evidence means “on its face” referring to past convictions and lawsuit, where the evidence before the trial is sufficient for the prosecution to use. The expunctions provided by the AOC can be considered prima facie, as they are used to calculate an alleged offender’s prior record level if he or she has subsequent offenses.
Speak to an Expungement Lawyer in Raleigh Today
If you have faced charges and met conditions for expungement in Wake County, contact a Raleigh expunction lawyer at Coolidge Law Firm. You may not have to live with the burden of a criminal record. The attorneys will fight hard for the sealing or expungement of your records. Call (919) 239-8448 or fill out the form below to schedule a free consultation.
Menu
Practices
Reviews
Contact