Everybody makes mistakes, but some mistakes can weigh heavily on your shoulders and on your record.  A conviction for a misdemeanor, even for a minor offense, can impact your ability to get a job, rent property, or even travel abroad, so it is important to understand when you can get those marks off your record, and maybe avoid an awkward conversation with a potential employer and others. 

A misdemeanor conviction can potentially be removed from your record if you meet these requirements:

• You have fulfilled the terms of your sentence.
• More than three years has passed since the completion of the terms of the conviction including financial obligations such as the payment of any applicable fees.
• You have not been convicted of a new crime in this state, another state, or in a Federal or tribal court in three years prior to your application for vacation of your criminal record.
• The conviction was for a misdemeanor offense that involved the possession or distribution of marijuana that occurred while you were over the age of twenty-one.
• You are not currently under a domestic violence protection order, a no contact order, an anti-harassment order, or a civil restraining order, and you were not found to have violated the terms of a previous restraining order within five years of your application.
• The conviction was not for the sexual exploitation of minors, or other sexual crimes not including a failure to register as a sex offender.

Paul Schneiderman is also available to potentially represent a person who may seek a pardon for a misdemeanor or another criminal offense that cannot be vacated through a statute. 

Benefits of Vacating a Misdemeanor

As stated above, a misdemeanor conviction on your record can have long lasting effects negative effects on your life or your standard of living.  Removing a charge from your record has many potentially life changing benefits.

An individual whose criminal record has been vacated is likely not required to include their past convictions in any employment, housing, or Visa application.

Paul Schneiderman understands how to approach prosecutors and judges with misdemeanor vacation requests, he has been successful in his representation of clients in pursuit of these motions, where the client's life has been improved with the dismissal of a misdemeanor conviction. Paul will do what he can to help you, and he can help put together letters of reference and other materials that can potentially help in the effort to get a misdemeanor conviction permanently vacated from your record. 

If you want that weight of a criminal conviction off your shoulders, give Paul Schneiderman a call, and let his expertise and experience help move you forward into a brighter future.