Legal Question in Criminal Law in Washington
filing expungement
was convicted of felony (possesion of stolen property) 6 1/2 years ago. i have had no further trouble with the law. i need an expungement, i find myself facing a job market that doesnt seem to want to hire someone that has had a felony. i am broke, need a job, cannot afford a lawyer. can i do this expungement on my own? thank you!!!
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: filing expungement
Current statutes do not allow offenders to "expunge" (total destruction) a conviction; however, you may be able to vacate the conviction. The applicable law is RCW 9.96.060. The forms can be found at www.courts.wa.gov
You do not need to retain an attorney to handle this process; however, you should review the statute and any instructions available to ensure you complete the process and avail youself of all of the benefits of vacating the conviction.
You may also be eligible to seal the court file (fundamentally different proceeding and a bit more complicated) under General Rule 15.
Re: filing expungement
You can do it on your own. However, you do need to work with the court so it might be prudent to hire an attorney. If you'd like assistance contact me directly. Otherwise, Paul's answer to your question is succinct and accurate.
At your service,
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