Expungement

Expunging your criminal record in California

This is a legal process where the court Re-Opens your old criminal conviction, changes your plea from “Guilty” to “Not-Guilty,” and then changes the status of the case to “Dismissed.” Unlike some states, California won’t physically destroy your expunged criminal record. The good news is that if you do expunge your criminal record in California, you can answer Truthfully and Legally on any application that you have never been convicted of a crime. Even if someone goes to the courthouse and pulls your file, it will say “Not Guilty” and “Dismissed,” instead of “Guilty” and “Convicted.”