Are you looking to clean up your criminal record? Well, look no further. Our criminal record expungement attorneys Tulsa Oklahoma can help you erase your past and start fresh. Across the country pardon and expungement laws are being reformed. Gone are the days when a crime sits on your record many years following the convictions. Many of the laws have changed felony crimes to misdemeanors. This means that the requirement needed to seal that record have gotten easier. Under some circumstances a prior felony that wasn’t eligible is now possible under the new expungement laws.
Criminal Record Expungement Overview
In Oklahoma, to have your criminal record expunged means that is will be sealed from public view. For very limited purposes the criminal record may still be viewed by law enforcement agencies. However, your next door neighbor, co-worker, or prospective employer will not be able to view the record.
This will help you obtain employment that was out of reach due to your past, and potentially receive public assistance or obtain a new apartment (most landlords review applicant’s criminal history). The process of having your record expunged is relatively affordable as well. Hiring an experienced criminal record expungement attorney may be one of the best decisions you make for your professional and personal life.
Criminal Record Expungement Process
Most of our clients need their arrest and conviction record sealed (overall criminal history sealed). We begin the process by running a statewide criminal background check on our clients. The background check provides us with their arrest/conviction records throughout the state counties. We file a motion for expungement of an arrest/conviction record in the county in which it occurred and a court date will be set. Notice of the motion must be provided to the District Attorney’s office, in addition to the arresting agency, and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Prior to going to court, we obtain information about our client’s that will help their case. For example, if our clients were previously arrested for assault, we may obtain evidence to present regarding our client’s attendance in anger management classes through the local community college. On the scheduled court date, we advocate on our client’s behalf to have the record sealed. The DA may appear, or a law enforcement officer to contest the sealing. If the motion is granted, your criminal record will be sealed.
Seal Your Criminal Record Conviction in Oklahoma
Over the many years I’ve practiced criminal law I don’t think I’ve seen an area of the law change as fast and often as expungement law. 20 years ago the conditions that had to be met before an expungement is granted were difficult at best. Thankfully, over the past decade the law has seen several reforms. The latest changes in the law went into practice in November of 2019. The major changes involve prior convictions and how they may or may not impact your right to an expungement. To be eligible to seal your criminal record the expungement process must be followed and certain rules apply:
- You have been acquitted of the criminal offense;
- The appellate court reversed your criminal conviction;
- Subsequent to being convicted, DNA evidence established your innocence;
- The Governor grants you a pardon for a crime you were innocent of committing;
- After being arrested for a crime, no formal charges were asserted against you;
- You were charged with a non-violent offense as set forth in Section 571 of Title 57 of the Oklahoma Statutes, and the charge was dismissed following the successful completion of a deferred judgment or delayed sentence;
- You were charged with a misdemeanor, and it was dismissed after you completed the deferred sentence. There must be no other cases pending against you and you must wait a year.
- You’ve been charged with a non-violent felony and it was dismissed following the completion of a deferred sentence. No other felony or misdemeanor convictions and 5 years has past since you completed your deferred sentence.
- You were falsely arrested for committing a crime.
Title 22 Section 991(c) allows you to have a criminal record expunged if you received a deferred sentence. A petition must be made under both 991(c) and Title 22 Section 18 in order to have the arrest and conviction record expunged.
Hire Our Tulsa Criminal Record Expungement Attorneys
We invite you to contact our expungement attorneys Tulsa Oklahoma to discuss your case and the criminal record you want to seal in detail. The expungement law is constantly changing and what didn’t qualify a year ago probably will today. Give us a call and we’ll review your criminal history and determine if you qualify to have your record expunged. Call us for a confidential consultation. We provide legal services to residents throughout the state of Oklahoma.