Legal Question in Criminal Law in Washington

Re: sealed records... i think

The only way to know for sure is to check you own criminal record through the State Highway Patrol. Let me know if you need help getting it off your record.

At your service,

Re: sealed records... i think

Your first step should be to review your court file.

Your file will not have been destroyed. It is also unlikley that it was sealed, since you do not seem to recall. In most counties, it is up to the offender to return to court and request that the court file be sealed.

If you have not been in trouble since, or for at least a few years, you are likely eligible to have the case sealed.

Sealing the court file would prohibit the WSP from disclosing conviction information. If the WSP doesn't currently report the conviction, it doesn't necessarily mean that the case has been sealed. It could simply be that WSP doesn't have a record of the conviction.

Occasionally, a case is sealed, but no one notifies WSP and they continue to report conviction information in a sealed case.

You should pursue relief if you are eligible. You should also educate yourself on the significance of sealing and what it does and doesn't accomplish if you intend to handle the matter on your own.

Note that sealing is not permanent, and is not the most prudent method of restoring the right to possess firearms.