How long does a felony have to be on your record before it can be expunged?
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How long does a felony have to be on your record before it can be expunged?
Asked on December 13, 2012 under Criminal Law, Mississippi
Answers:
David West / West & Corvelli
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
A felony that is on your record as a result of a plea or as a result of losing at trial cannot be expunged from your record in Georgia. The only exception to this rule is if at the time of sentencing the prosecutors agreed to expungement as part of a diversion sentence or some other alternative sentence. Of course, there should be a record of this if that happened in your case.
For most people, however, a felony conviction cannot be expunged - ever. That does not mean there is nothing that can be done to make that conviction look better on your criminal history. If more than five years have elapsed since the entire sentence ended in the case (including probation) then you may be eligible for a Pardon. A Pardon is a document and act which basically states that because you have turned your life around and been a good citizen since your felony, the State of Georgia will no longer consider you to have been convicted. While this sounds great, it does not remove the conviction from your record completely. It does, however, show that you were Pardoned for the offense and you are not a convicted felon anymore.
Good Luck!
David West
Attorney at Law
David West / David West & Associates
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
A felony that is on your record as a result of a plea or as a result of losing at trial cannot be expunged from your record in Georgia. The only exception to this rule is if at the time of sentencing the prosecutors agreed to expungement as part of a diversion sentence or some other alternative sentence. Of course, there should be a record of this if that happened in your case.
For most people, however, a felony conviction cannot be expunged - ever. That does not mean there is nothing that can be done to make that conviction look better on your criminal history. If more than five years have elapsed since the entire sentence ended in the case (including probation) then you may be eligible for a Pardon. A Pardon is a document and act which basically states that because you have turned your life around and been a good citizen since your felony, the State of Georgia will no longer consider you to have been convicted. While this sounds great, it does not remove the conviction from your record completely. It does, however, show that you were Pardoned for the offense and you are not a convicted felon anymore.
Good Luck!
David West
Attorney at Law
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