DUI Expungement in California
Bakersfield DUI Lawyers
Any sort of conviction on your criminal record is going to act as a deterrent for potential employers, landlords, and colleges or university enrollment officers. A DUI conviction in particular can be seen as particularly troublesome as the act of driving under the influence puts not only yourself but others in danger. In California, you can attempt to clean up your record and remove the unfair and lingering negative impact from your life through a DUI expungement. A Bakersfield DUI expungement lawyer can help walk you through the process.
If you do not take any action, a DUI conviction will disappear from your record in 10 years, assuming you are never convicted for another driving-related violation within that time. An expungement can erase that same conviction much sooner, sometimes as soon as just one year after the conviction took place.
To explore if expungement is an option for you, contact our Bakersfield DUI attorneys at Campbell Whitten today.
Eligibility for DUI Expungement in California
Not everyone is eligible to have a DUI conviction expunged off their record; if they were, courts would be overbooked with people filing for expungement. Everyone may be eligible, though, so it never hurts to find out if you are eligible with the help of your lawyer.
To be eligible for a DUI expungement, you must:
- Complete any probationary period (typically one or two years)
- Pay any fines to totality
- Attend all mandated driver’s education classes
- Have a clean record (no current charges pending)
In summation, you need to complete all aspects of your original sentencing. Remember that expungement is cleaning your record after the fact, not a shortcut through your penalties. If you do meet all eligibility requirements, you may file a petition with the court that sentenced you. Should the judge approve of your expungement, your guilty verdict will be removed.
Why is Expungement So Important?
When you are in any important interview, or even applying for a credit card, you are probably going to be asked if you have ever been convicted of a crime. If all of your convictions have been expunged or otherwise expired, you can legally answer ‘no’ to these questions.
Keep in mind these two aspects of expungement:
- Erased, not reset: If an organization really needs to see your real criminal record, not what remains after expungements, they can request a court order. If they do, your conviction will be there with a note saying that it has been expunged.
- Persistence: Expungement makes your criminal record look exponentially better than it was before, but your conviction will still weigh on any future convictions. If you are convicted of a DUI in 2010, have it expunged in 2012, and are convicted for a DUI again in 2013, this will count as your second offense.
DUI Expungement Lawyers in Bakersfield, California
The DUI expungement process in California can be as complicated as it is critical. To ensure that you are going about everything in the right way, and without missing any deadlines, allow our creative team of Bakersfield DUI lawyers step up and help you out.
You can start right now by submitting an online contact form to tell us the details of your conviction, or call (661) 771-3077 and request a complimentary consultation.
