Legal Question in Criminal Law in Washington

I live in Washington State. I have an order of dismissal and termination of supervision. But I am a little confused about the wording in it. It states as follows:

It is hereby ordered, adjudged and decreed that pursuant to RCW 9.95.240, the defendant's guilty plea previously accepted by the court in this cause is withdrawn and a plea of not guilty is entered, the information against the defendant is dismissed, and the defendant is released from all penalties and disabilities resulting from the conviction. Further, it is ordered that probation and the requirement of supervision by the DOC are terminated.

I am confused by the term: the information against the defendant is dismissed. What exactly does it mean that the information has been dismissed?


Asked on 3/23/12, 1:30 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Paul Ferris Law Office of Paul T. Ferris

It appears you were given a deferred sentence for a felony committed before July 1, 1984; successfully complied with the terms of the judgment and sentence; and you earned a dismissal. Such dismissals have the same effect as an order vacating a conviction under current statutes. You can state for all purposes that you have not been convicted of the offense.

The "information" is the document that formally charges you with criminal violations. It is a specific legal term.

You can submit a copy of the dismissal order to WSP to ensure that your criminal record is updated.

Note that even with a dismissal, certain felonies still prohibit possession of a firearm. Review RCW 9.41.040(4) to determine if your offense is one offenses listed.

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Answered on 3/23/12, 6:23 pm


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