Expunging Domestic Violence Charges in Pennsylvania

If you've faced domestic violence charges in Pennsylvania, you know that it can be stressful. In today's world of online background checks, your arrest is often there for anyone to see, even if you were never convicted of the crime. Despite no finding of guilt, this arrest record can follow you for years. People will see “domestic violence” or “assault” on a background check and make unwarranted judgments. Fortunately, in Pennsylvania, you may be able to expunge those arrest records.

What Is an Expungement?

An expungement is a court order directing law enforcement and judicial agencies to remove or expunge any records related to an arrest or conviction. The process can be complex, but the time can be worth it to get your life back. Before you begin the process, talk to an experienced Pennsylvania criminal defense attorney to find out if you may be eligible or any alternatives you may have.

Who Is Eligible for Expungement?

Under Pennsylvania law, expungements are only allowed in very limited circumstances. For example, you may be able to expunge your record if:

  • You were a juvenile
  • You completed an Accelerative Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program, usually used to resolve DUIs. See 18 Pa. C.S.A. § 9122 (2019); 234 Pa.C.R. 320
  • You completed a Section 17 diversionary program, similar to the ARD program, after a drug conviction
  • You received a pardon from the governor
  • You committed a summary, or low-level, offense, and it's been five years since your criminal proceedings
  • Underage drinking offenses if you're now over 21
  • You were arrested but never convicted of a crime. For example, if the prosecutor dropped the charges, you were found not guilty, or the state didn't pursue the charges within 18 months.

In Pennsylvania, you cannot expunge misdemeanor and felony convictions. You may be eligible to have them sealed or apply for a pardon. An experienced Pennsylvania expungement attorney can help.

Expunging Domestic Violence Charges

If no court convicted you, you might be eligible to expunge domestic violence charges in Pennsylvania. However, it won't always be an easy or automatic process. The process of expungement involves:

1. Get Your Rap Sheet

Before starting the expungement application process, you'll need a complete copy of your criminal record. The expungement application will ask for information from you, such as your name and social security number. But the petition must also include all charged offenses, the docket numbers, court tracking numbers, and the case dispositions. The court will need this information to view your record and see what records to expunge if the judge grants your application.

2. Complete the Application for Expungement

Next, you'll need to complete the expungement application. For summary offenses, low-level violations, or charges that didn't require a jury, you will is the form detailed in Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal Procedure 490. For misdemeanor or felony convictions, you will use the form detailed in Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal Procedure 790. An attorney can also help you ensure you have the correct form.

3. Attend the Hearing

In some cases, a court will automatically grant your expungement after reviewing your application. But in other cases, the judge may want to ask you additional questions and will set a hearing. Occasionally, the district attorney or prosecutor may also decide to contest your expungement application even if you're eligible because you weren't convicted. They may oppose your application on public policy grounds, arguing that someone accused of domestic violence shouldn't be able to conceal that history from the public. For example, if your accuser backed out and refused to testify, leading the prosecutor to drop or dismiss the charges, the DA may oppose your expungement in this situation. If the DA contests your application, the court will set a hearing in person or via video conference.

At the hearing, the judge may want to ask you more questions about your past crimes, an arrest, your rehabilitation, or why you want your records expunged. The judge will decide whether to grant your petition by looking at factors such as:

  • Your job or career, salary and earning capacity, and how your record impacts that
  • The details and seriousness of your record
  • Whether your record causes damage to your reputation
  • Whether you have any prior criminal history
  • Whether public policy reasons argue in favor of preserving your record to protect the public

For formal, contested expungement hearings, your best chance of success is with an experienced criminal defense attorney, well versed in expungements, guiding you through the process.

Expungement Order

If the judge grants your expungement application, they will sign an expungement order. This order will contain the records agencies must remove and the specific agencies that should receive the order. The expungement order will also direct the FBI to return records to state agencies for destruction.

Sealing Your Record

If you aren't eligible to expunge your record, or if the court denies your expungement application, you should consult an attorney. You may be able to “seal” your record instead. While the records will still exist and law enforcement agencies can access them, they will be removed from the public view.

In some cases, you can have records related to nonviolent misdemeanors “sealed” after ten years of no arrests or criminal charges. Pennsylvania courts will even automatically seal some records now, including:

  • Arrest records if you weren't prosecuted or convicted
  • Charges if a court or jury found you not guilty
  • Nonviolent criminal convictions older than ten years
  • Misdemeanors are punished by less than two years in prison

Hire an Experienced Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Attorney

If you have a domestic violence charge on your record, you need help removing this from your past. Our experienced Criminal Law Team at the LLF Law Firm has been guiding Pennsylvanians through the expungement and sealing processes for years. Find out how we can help you. Give the LLF Law Firm a call at 888-535-3686 to schedule a consultation, or contact us online today.

Contact Us Today!

The LLF Law Firm Team has decades of experience successfully resolving clients' criminal charges in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania counties. If you are having any uncertainties about what the future may hold for you or a loved one, contact the LLF Law Firm today! Our Criminal Defense Team will go above and beyond the needs of any client, and will fight until the final bell rings.

This website was created only for general information purposes. It is not intended to be construed as legal advice for any situation. Only a direct consultation with a licensed Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York attorney can provide you with formal legal counsel based on the unique details surrounding your situation. The pages on this website may contain links and contact information for third party organizations - the Lento Law Firm does not necessarily endorse these organizations nor the materials contained on their website. In Pennsylvania, Attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout Pennsylvania's 67 counties, including, but not limited to Philadelphia, Allegheny, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Schuylkill, and York County. In New Jersey, attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout New Jersey's 21 counties: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren County, In New York, Attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout New York's 62 counties. Outside of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, unless attorney Joseph D. Lento is admitted pro hac vice if needed, his assistance may not constitute legal advice or the practice of law. The decision to hire an attorney in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania counties, New Jersey, New York, or nationwide should not be made solely on the strength of an advertisement. We invite you to contact the Lento Law Firm directly to inquire about our specific qualifications and experience. Communicating with the Lento Law Firm by email, phone, or fax does not create an attorney-client relationship. The Lento Law Firm will serve as your official legal counsel upon a formal agreement from both parties. Any information sent to the Lento Law Firm before an attorney-client relationship is made is done on a non-confidential basis.

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