Expungements and Pardons

An expungement is the removal of a conviction for a crime from a person’s record. If a person receives an expungement, he or she may usually treat the crime that was expunged as if it never occurred. In contrast, pardons are not a judicial action like expungements. When a person receives a pardon, the conviction remains on the person’s record.

Under Pennsylvania Law certain people may obtain permission to have their criminal records removed from the files of the criminal justice agencies. If you have your record expunged, this means that your criminal records will be destroyed. In addition to limited types of convictions that can be expunged, there are also several types of non-convictions that can be expunged. Non-conviction expungements can include not-guilty verdicts, withdrawals of the charges, case dismissals, and nolle prosequi. An expungement can also include the acceptance and successful completion of an ARD program. Convictions that can be expunged include:

  • A Summary offense after five years have passed, if the defendant has remained free of arrest or prosecution during that time;
  • Underage drinking offenses; and
  • Juvenile offenses.

Additionally, if a person is over 70 years of age with no arrests in the past 10 years or obtains a pardon then they may also qualify for an expungement. The experienced Pennsylvania expungement and pardon lawyers at Pyfer Reese Straub Gray & Farhat PC can review your criminal record and explain the expungement and pardon process with you. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.