How Does Criminal Expungement Work In Jefferson City?
Expungement is a legal process for the sealing of a past criminal record from view or access by the general public. It is a mechanism of Missouri state law that restores you to the legal status you had before receiving a criminal judgment.
Not every criminal conviction is eligible for expungement. However, the 2018 amendment of Missouri’s criminal expungement statute increased the number of offenses eligible for expungement from 13 to 1,900.
Thus, a vastly increased number of Jefferson City residents suffering under the weight of past convictions are now eligible to have their offenses essentially erased.
Who Is Eligible for Expungement in Jefferson City?
There are limitations to the availability of expungement for Jefferson City residents both in terms of the category of the offense for which you were convicted and in terms of the time frame that has elapsed since the conviction.
First, whatever the offense and the timeframe involved, you must have paid all fines and costs associated with the conviction, including restitution.
Regarding the timeframe, you are eligible for expungement if:
- 3 years have elapsed since you completed your probation or jail or prison term sentence resulting from a felony conviction;
- 1 year has elapsed since the completion of your probation or jail term resulting from a misdemeanor conviction.
Certain offense convictions, however, are never available for expungement. These offenses include:
- Violent offenses involving death or serious bodily injury;
- Sex offenses;
- Class A Felonies;
- Certain weapon offenses and offenses involve escape from custody.
Additionally, other statutes may affect your eligibility for expungement of offenses involving drunk or intoxicated driving.
Further, a successful expungement proceeding will also require that your criminal record has been otherwise clean since the prior conviction was entered.
How Often Can You Expunge?
You can expunge an (allowed) felony offense only once.
Misdemeanor offenses with jail time can be expunged twice, including Jefferson City code and ordinance violations.
Other infractions or misdemeanors without jail time can be expunged an unlimited number of times.
Contact Our Jefferson City Expungement Lawyers Now
Expunging your prior criminal convictions will clear your criminal record. You will be allowed to answer, “No” when employers or prospective employers inquire as to whether you’ve ever been convicted of a crime in most circumstances, among other benefits.
If you believe that you are eligible for expungement of your criminal record, contact our Jefferson City expungement attorneys to schedule your consultation.