Walk It Through: The Old Conviction
A misdemeanor from years back, a felony from longer ago, the right to vote, and a hunting rifle.
A misdemeanor theft sentence ended more than five years ago. A job application asks about convictions.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
Two old convictions and what can be cleared. A violent felony, a sex offense registration, and a pardon from the governor follow other rules.
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.
- ExpungementClassifying a record in the state's central repository so it is not disseminated outside criminal justice agencies, with the court file sealed.
- FelonyA crime that can be punished by death or by imprisonment for more than one year. Every other crime is a misdemeanor.
- Status offenseA minor offense for which the wait before a petition to expunge the conviction is one year, rather than the five years for other misdemeanors.