Walk It Through: The Arrest That Went Nowhere
An arrest, no charge, a dismissal for another, and the motion that seals the record.
A woman was arrested in a mixup at a concert, and no charge was ever filed. A year has passed, and a job application asks about arrests.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
An arrest with no charge and an old minor case. Felony convictions, a pardon, a juvenile record and a federal background check are not worked through here.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Class 2 misdemeanorThe lesser misdemeanor class, with a maximum of thirty days in a county jail or a $500 fine, or both.
- ExpungementThe sealing of every record of an arrest or case, which returns the person in law to their status before it.
- Petty offenseA lesser kind of offense, such as not having the license on the driver. An officer may detain a person only as long as it takes to issue the complaint and summons, and that detention is not an arrest.