Expungement (Petition for dismissal)

California law is forgiving to criminal defendants once they have completed their sentence. As long as you comply with the orders of the court and stay out of trouble, you will become eligible to expunge the conviction from your criminal record. An expunged conviction is equivalent to the dismissal of the case for most purposes, and when asked, you may truthfully say that you were not convicted under California law.

Expunging your criminal record can substantially clean your criminal record, making it easier to obtain employment, join a professional organization or obtain a state license. By having your record expunged, you have the opportunity to move forward with your life without the baggage of a criminal record.

If you were convicted of a misdemeanor and you are still on probation, you are eligible to apply for an early release from probation and to have the conviction expunged. If you were convicted of a misdemeanor and you have already completed probation, or no probation was assigned, you can apply immediately to have the conviction expunged.

If you were convicted of a felony and are still on probation, you can apply to for an early release from probation and to have the conviction reduced to a misdemeanor and dismissed. If you were convicted of a felony and you have completed your probation, or you were never assigned probation, you can apply for an immediate reduction to misdemeanor and dismissal.