In California, in order to clear your criminal record, you or your attorney must file a legal petition, or motion, with the court where your conviction occurred to have the Judge set aside the conviction and to dismiss the case. The legal authority for this is pursuant California Penal Code 1203.4.  When the expungement petition is granted, you will no longer be considered convicted of the crime by the state of California.   Your documented criminal record, or “RAP sheet”, will be updated to display a dismissal rather than a criminal conviction. Once the conviction is expunged by the court you can then honestly tell employers, your family, and all other people that you have not been convicted of a crime. If your employer runs a background check, the crime will not appear as a conviction. 

Today’s world is run online, through the virtual world where a background check can be done with a quick online search.  These background investigations are used by employers, landlords, lenders, and others who want to understand your criminal history. If an employer, or landlord, runs a background check on you after the criminal expungement process has been completed, they will no longer be able to see any information pertaining to the criminal case. In this day in age, it is more important than ever to clean up your criminal record, especially in this difficult job market. If you are looking for a fresh start, where you can move forward with your life without the looming worry that your past mistakes will hinder your future aspirations it is critical to get your criminal record expunged today.