Red Hook, NY Criminal Defense Law Firms & Lawyers

In Massachusetts you can seal your record 5 years after a misdemeanor and 10 years after a felony. If it is before these time periods, you may still request that the court seal the record but it is up to a judge's discretion. After the statutory periods have passed, no judge need decide. It can be done by a petition/request to the Department of Probation. If you are past the statutory periods, you can try to do it yourself. If it seems too difficult you can hire an attorney to do it for you. It is a bit complicated and many people prefer to have a lawyer do it for them. If it is prior to the statutory wait period, it is highly advisable to employ an attorney. In this case, it require a motion to the court that must be in compliance with the rules of procedure. Again, you can try it on your own, but most people defer to an attorney prior to the statutory period.

If VC 14601 charges are being filled against you (driving on a suspended license), you can fight your case as knowledge of the suspension is one of the elements of the charge. Contact an attorney to discuss your case in more detail.

If you have already pleaded guilty and been convicted of shoplifting, you can not get the conviction expunged, sealed, or removed. If you have _not_ already pleaded guilty, then hire a criminal defense attorney to handle the shoplifting charge. Depending on which court this is in and whether you have prior convictions on your record for shoplifting, your attorney can possibly get the charge reduced to "Littering" with just a fine and no court appearance.