Legal Question in Criminal Law in Wisconsin

Re: employment background checks

If you were under 21 when you incurred the conviction, you can ask the judge to expunge it (that requires a formal hearing on the record where you tell the judge the reasons why you think you deserve it). Give it another 8 - 10 years, build up a good personal life history with lots of recognition service to the community, and you can then ask the governor's pardon board to pardon you (you can ask them without all the community service and recognition, but your chances of success with them would be next to 0%). By statute, prospective employers in this state are barred from holding that conviction against you, unless it is of a nature that is materially related to the employment. But of course that's really hard to track.