Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

I was arrested in FLA in 1976 on conspiracy & forgery. I was offered pre-trial intervention. Upon completion I was told my record was sealed. Upon applying for senior housing in CA I was denied because my record was unsealed. I filled out and sbmitted paperwork to have it resealed and was denied. I informed FLA that I would appeal. I requested all forms needed.

Will I need to be represented by a FLA attorney or can I use on in CA, where I now live.


Asked on 9/23/09, 7:39 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Edward Hoffman Law Offices of Edward A. Hoffman

You will need a lawyer who has been admitted in Florida. Some Florida lawyers live in California, but I don't know a systematic way to search for them.

An out-of-state lawyer can sometimes be admitted for a specific case. (This is called admission pro hac vice.) But even then, they usually must arrange for a local attorney to act as co-counsel.

You're probably better off hiring a lawyer in Florida and communicating with her from a distance. If there are going to be hearings, it's more important for the lawyer to be close to the courthouse than for the client to be close to the lawyer. Paying for a local lawyer to fly cross-country for even one court date would be expensive.

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Answered on 9/23/09, 9:13 pm


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