Can I do anything about a wrongful arrest and criminal charge that happened 15 years ago?
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Can I do anything about a wrongful arrest and criminal charge that happened 15 years ago?
I was arrested and charged with defending myself and my family in my own home when a “friend” barged in and began attacking us. I was really young at the time and had no clue about my rightsbut it plagues me to this day. I was told if I pled guilty they would drop the charges to a misdemeanor and the charge would be dropped after 7years. However, the charge is still on my record and it’s recently caused me to be denied on a housing application. Is there anything I could do? Should I speak with a criminal law attorney? I’m in Summit County, OH.
Asked on October 6, 2011 under Criminal Law, Ohio
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
If you have an old misdemeanor conviction on your record that you want off, possibly you could file a motion to expunge the conviction. An expungement proceeding is a proceeding filed in the criminal court where the petitioner seeks to have a prior conviction eliminated from his or her permament record.
There is no guarantee that the petition would be granted but factors for granting the petition are how old is the conviction, how serious was the crime, what has the person done since, and has there been any subsequent problems with the law.
I suggest that you consult with a criminal defense attorney about this expungement suggestion. Good luck.
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