Q: I was convicted of a felony 9 years ago Straw purchase. I would like to petition the court for an expungement.
It was a first offense, I never even had a parking ticket prior. Good standing in society but was associated with someone of whom I was dating and I did not know that he had a felony charge in his past. I was studying for my insurance license for a bail bond business. When I purchase my weapon, he was with me and he asked me to loan him money to purchase a weapon. I did and was charged with straw purchase. The prosecutor made me out to be someone who was purchasing a stock of weapons. My attorney was court appointed and did not represent me well. He used a scare tactic to keep me from appealing my case. I was not familiar with the law so I did not appeal it. I am a good person who was associated with someone who was not honest with me.
A:
There is no standardized process nor statutory entitlement to sealing nor expungement in federal court. It is a complicated process with requesting a federal judge to take extraordinary actions.
Youshould retain counsel
1 user found this answer helpful
A:
You state you were charged with a federal crime, which is only prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office in the United States District Court. If that is the case, federal convictions cannot be expunged.
If this was really a state court charge, I would need more details about the specific charge, as well as the disposition. Most convictions in Maryland, in particular, felony and weapons convictions, cannot be expunged. If, however, you were granted a "probation before judgment" then you are eligible for expungement, since that is not a conviction.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.