Expungement of Summary Convictions

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Good new for those of you who would like to expunge or erase, a summary conviction from your record such as bad checks, retail theft, underage drinking, disorderly conduct, harassment and traffic offenses. The Governor signed House Bill No. 1543 on November 26, 2008, which allows a court to expunge a summary offense. The law goes into effect on January 26, 2009. All you have to show is that you have been free of arrest or prosecution for five years following the conviction for that offense.

People often find that a minor summary conviction is a roadblock to employment opportunities and enrollment in schools or colleges. Summary offenses include: bad checks, retail theft(shoplifting), harassment, disorderly conduct, underage drinking, public drunkenness, and other traffic offenses. Most people charged with summary offenses simply pay the fine and forget about it, until a criminal background check reveals the offense to a prospective employer or educational institution. Sadly, it is often a reason for the employer to deny your application or the school to deny your admission. The good news is we can now expunge these offenses. Please contact our office to discuss the procedure for filing a petition and having a hearing.