Filing record expungments in Georgia allows individuals, in certain situations, to have their criminal charges wiped clean. Not everyone will qualify for record expungement, which is now called record restriction after the 2013 changes to the law passed.
In order to qualify for record restriction, your case must have been:
- dismissed by the prosecuting officer
- dismissed after completing a diversion program, drug court program, or similar accountability court program where expungement was included
- all charges dead docketed
- not prosecuted after being referred to the prosecutor's office
- you were found not guilty of all charges
The following common situations do not allow for record expungement:
- you pled guilty or no contest
- the charges were dismissed because a witness failed to show up in court, or because evidence was suppressed
- you were found not guilty of one charge, but guilty or related charges
- you pled guilty to a lesser charge, like reckless driving from DUI
In addition to filing for record restriction, the 2013 laws were expanded to allow for certain court and even jail records to be restricted and sealed if properly applied for and granted. This can be a time consuming process and you must know exactly who to contact and what to file for your case.
At Zeliff | Watson, we help eligible people seal and restrict their records in all Metro Atlanta and North Georgia courts. If you think your charges maybe eligible for expungement, give us a call today, or email us directly at: help@zwdefense.com and we will discuss whether our services could help expunge your record.