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Can I get this expunged?
Anonymous3 views3 answers
I landed myself a Theft in the 1st degree in Washington State when i was 18. I am 25 now and i have served my time and payed all obligations to the courts and have cleaned up my act and have been out of trouble for along time. I CANNOT get a job ANYWHERE thats really worth anything so u can see this has been huanting me for a very long time.. I would like to know if I am eligible to finally put all of this behind me.
In Washington, you cannot "expunge" the record of a conviction.
But, you can "vacate" the conviction. That means the court allows you to withdraw the guilty plea or sets aside a guilty verdict and then dismisses the charge. Once that happens, the vacation statute says for all purposes, including housing and employment applications, the person may state they have not been convicted of the crime.
To be eligible to vacate the conviction, you must have completed all of your sentencing obligations including paying off your legal financial obligations (fines, fees, restitution). From the date you completed all of your sentencing obligations, you must have 10 years (for eligible class B felonies, like Theft 1st) with no new convictions.
Contact an attorney in your area that handles vacations and expungements.
Good luck!
I think for a Class B felony, you will have to go 10 conviction free years, in addition to having completed all the terms of your sentence, in order to be eligible to have your record expunged. You should get a copy of your criminal history from the WA State Patrol as well as a "certificate of completion" from you probation officer and then go in to see an attorney in your area (there are several really good ones) familiar with this process.
