Our Sapulpa expungement attorneys can help you get your criminal record sealed. Expungements can remove or “seal” past offenses on your criminal record if you are eligible. Having a past charge or conviction available for the public eye can impose a multitude of burdens in your life when it comes to looking for a job, buying or renting a house, or simply keeping the reputation you need. With all the changes to expungement and pardon laws most people are left wondering where they stand in relation to the new expungment guidelines. People often want to know if their conviction is eligible for expungement as Oklahoma law does restrict certain crimes from being expunged. This article will clarify which offenses are eligible for expungement.

Non-violent Felonies may be Expunged from Your Criminal Record

Non-violent offenses may be expunged in Creek County. Due to recent changes in Oklahoma law, the waiting time for eligibility to get a non-violent felony charge expunged is five (5) years after completion of a deferred judgment or delayed sentence. To easiest way to describe a non-violent felony is basically any crime that is not “violent”. Oklahoma law considers the following as violent crimes:

– Assault and battery with a deadly weapon; assault and battery on an officer of the law; assault and battery with intent to kill; assault with a dangerous weapon while masked or disguised; aggravated assault and battery upon any person defending another person from assault and battery;

– Murder in the first or second degree; manslaughter in the first or second degree;

– Shooting with the intent to kill; poisoning with the intent to kill; maiming

– Rape in the first or second degree; rape by instrumentation; forcible sodomy;

– Robbery in the first or second degree; armed robbery; robbery with a dangerous weapon or imitation firearm;

– Burglary in the first degree or with explosives;

– Kidnapping; kidnapping for extortion; extortion; obtaining signature by extortion;

– Child abuse; child pornography or aggravated child pornography; child prostitution; lewd or indecent acts with a child under the age of sixteen (16);

– Abuse of a vulnerable adult who is a resident of a nursing facility; mistreatment of a mental patient;

– Rioting; inciting to riot; pointing firearms; using a firearm or offensive weapon to commit or attempt to commit a felony; criminal syndicalism

– Arson in the first degree; injuring or burning public buildings; wiring any equipment, vehicle, or structure with explosives; seizure of a bus, discharging a firearm or missile at a bus; using a vehicle to facilitate the discharge of a weapon;

– Human trafficking; aggravated trafficking;

– Terrorism crimes; bombing offenses; sabotage

Consequences of Criminal Records in Oklahoma

A consequence of America’s “War on Crime” is that we have tens of thousands of Americans with criminal records. The type of records may include simple drug crimes to other infractions that as a whole are the result of simple legal infractions. Still more criminal records are for crimes that were committed by minors and because of this record they are still left to pay for what they did as a child. Unfortunately the poorest among us are the largest portion of people with criminal records. The problem with criminal records as they relate to the poor is that without an expungement they continue to lose out on employment opportunities that may help them out of poverty. Fortunately judges in Oklahoma and in particular Sapupla has made moves to make it easier to get your criminal record expunged. Some expungements can be done without an attorney but its difficult. If you’ve got a criminal record in Creek County call our criminal defense attorneys for help.