Legal Question in Criminal Law in Wisconsin

Re: Sealing or expungement of felonies

I am not aware of any law which allows "sealing" or expungement of felony convictions in WI. One exception is a pardon from the governor, but these are few and far between, particularly for someone who is still "on paper." Ten to twenty years after you have completed your sentence, you may have an outside chance at getting a pardon, provided that you have lived an exemplary life including lots of public service and volunteer work. Pardons are a highly politicized process, so you are apt to do better with an attorney who is politically close to the governor. Felony convictions can make it nearly impossible to ever obtain meaningful employment, especially in today’s age of public access to all conviction records on line. Your best bet in life is therefore to avoid felony convictions, either by not committing felonies, or by retaining an experienced, aggressive criminal lawyer if you are wrongly accused. Even if you are rightfully accused, a good lawyer can often help to avoid a felony conviction, depending upon the severity of the conduct with which you are charged.