Clean up Your California Criminal Record - Dismissal of Charges After Probation

Once upon a time you did something stupid and managed to get charged and convicted of a crime in San Diego. Once you have completed your probation, California Law allows you to petition the court to dismiss the original charges brought against you. This is sometimes called expungement. 

You can petition the San Diego Superior Court yourself to have your conviction expunged by downloading and submitting the appropriate forms  and representing yourself at a hearing... or you can hire a criminal defense lawyer to help you.

To complete the forms, we will need to know the court file number and date of your conviction. If your case is more than 10 years old, the courthouse probably won't have a record of your conviction. In that case, you will need to provide a certified copy of the complaint, conviction, and clerk's minutes. But you probably don't have and can't get these documents. Don't sweat it, you can get your criminal record from the California Department of Justice (DOJ). The record is free, but you will have to pay up to $20 to have your fingerprints taken at a LiveScan location.

The court can charge you up to $120 for the services related to the petition, but that might be waived if you can demonstrate financial need.

Expungements are not overly complicated but they do have some significant limitations and involve jumping through some hoops. If you are interested in cleaning up your criminal record but are intimidated by the prospect of representing yourself at a hearing in front of a judge - consider hiring a skilled California criminal defense attorney to complete the paperwork and appear on your behalf. 

You've done your time - let us help you put your past mistakes behind you.