Q: Can i get a misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia expunged? I plead guilty to having a glass pipe on me in 2018.
A:
It depends upon the county practice in which you pleaded guilty, and exactly how that plea was couched.
If you were accepted into your county's ARD program (short for Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition), then satisfactory completion of that program ends with an expungement of the underlying charge(s) either automatically or upon your filing of a petition with the court (depending on the particular county). There's also a special kind of probation known as a "Section 17" in some counties which leads to the same result.
Unless you participated in one of these special proceedings, though, you won't be able to expunge your record until you turn 70 years old and you've also been arrest-free for 10 years. You will, however, be eligible to *seal* your record 10 years after your conviction so long as you haven't had any misdemeanor or felony convictions since the paraphernalia charge and you've paid off all your court fees/fines -- and that happens automatically.
Best of luck to you.
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.
