Having a criminal record, even for a minor offense, can create significant obstacles in everyday life, including difficulty finding employment, securing housing, or accessing education and professional licenses. At Law Offices of Maxwell J. Wright, our Criminal Records Clean-Up practice is dedicated to helping clients restore their reputations and regain control over their futures. We help navigate California’s legal options to reduce, seal, or clear past convictions, offering a fresh start and improved opportunities.

Law Offices of Maxwell J. Wright provides personalized legal counsel to determine your eligibility for record clean-up and will guide you through every step of the process.

We can help you pursue the following forms of post-conviction relief:

  • Expungement (Dismissal): Expungement does not erase the conviction entirely but provides significant relief. It allows eligible individuals to have their conviction(s) dismissed, improving future prospects.  A dismissal allows you to truthfully state on most job applications that you have not been convicted of a crime, removing a significant barrier to employment. Dismissals can also improve employment, housing, loan, and licensing opportunities. 
  • Record Sealing: In some cases, it may be possible to seal your criminal record, limiting who can access it and ensuring that certain background checks do not reveal past charges.
  • Sealing and Destroying Arrest Records: Arrest records without a resulting conviction may be eligible for sealing and/or destruction to protect privacy and prevent unfair consequences. If successful, this path removes arrest information from public access and most background checks. It can protect against discrimination based on arrest without conviction, enhance privacy and peace of mind, and prevent misuse of arrest records by employers, financial institutions, or landlords.
  • Reduce Felony Convictions to Misdemeanors: A felony conviction can have a devastating effect on your reputation, rights, and opportunities. Some felony convictions can be reduced to misdemeanors. Reduction not only minimizes  the severity of the conviction(s) reflected on your record but also improves eligibility for record expungement and sealing. It also may reduce the negative impact the conviction will have on housing, educational, licensing, and employment opportunities. A reduction may also restore certain rights lost due to felony status, such as firearms rights.
  • Early Termination of Probation: If you are currently on probation, we may be able to help you get off probation early. While you remain on probation, you have jail or prison time hanging over your head. Even the smallest potential violation can result in immediate incarceration and loss of your freedom. Securing early termination of probation would allow you to avoid that risk and put you in a position to pursue record clearing options like expungement.
  • Sealing of Juvenile Records: We can help you pursue sealing of juvenile offenses for a fresh start. Juvenile records are not automatically sealed when you turn 18, you need a judicial order to have them sealed and destroyed. Sealing and destruction prevents juvenile records from appearing on background checks, and removes barriers to education, employment, and housing. It helps protect privacy and provides a clean slate after youthful mistakes. 
  • Certificate of Rehabilitation: If you were sentenced to prison in California, you are generally not eligible for expungement (dismissal). However, you may be able to get a Certificate of Rehabilitation. If you have lived in California for the past five years and  have been out of prison for at least seven years, you may qualify. A Certificate of Rehabilitation in California is a court order declaring that a person who has been convicted of certain crimes has demonstrated rehabilitation and is now a law-abiding-citizen. Obtaining a Certificate of Rehabilitation demonstrates formal rehabilitation to employers, courts, and licensing agencies. It may help restore some civil rights lost due to felony convictions and can support other record clearing efforts. If granted, the Certificate of Rehabilitation is automatically forwarded to the Governor as an application for a full Governor’s Pardon.
  • Governor’s Pardon: A Governor’s pardon recognizes rehabilitation and offers the strongest form of official forgiveness in California. Although a pardon will not erase your criminal record, it can be a significant step towards restoring civil rights, including voting and firearm rights, as well as opportunities lost due to a criminal conviction. A pardon can support other record clearing efforts such as dismissal or sealing of records and enhances credibility with employers and licensing bodies.
  • Petition for Removal from Megan’s Law Website: We can help eligible clients petition for removal from the Megan’s Law website.
  • Finding of Factual Innocence: In some circumstances, we can secure a court determination that a person did not commit the offense they were convicted of, based on new evidence or legal errors. If successful, this can lead to immediate dismissal of charges, erasure of the conviction, and removal of all legal disabilities associated with the conviction. It restores reputation fully as the criminal conviction is removed from the recipients record.

Why Choose Us?

At Law Offices of Maxwell J. Wright, we understand the weight of a criminal record and are committed to helping you secure a brighter future. The firm offers tailored solutions with compassionate support throughout the process. We are dedicated to helping clients regain their reputations and peace of mind.

Contact us today for a confidential consultation to learn more about how we can assist in cleaning up your criminal record and securing a new beginning.

Criminal Record Clean-Up Services

Having a criminal record, even for a minor offense, can create significant obstacles in everyday life, including difficulty finding employment, securing housing, or accessing education and professional licenses. At Law Offices of Maxwell J. Wright, our Criminal Records Clean-Up practice is dedicated to helping clients restore their reputations and regain control over their futures. We help navigate California’s legal options to reduce, seal, or clear past convictions, offering a fresh start and improved opportunities.

Law Offices of Maxwell J. Wright provides personalized legal counsel to determine your eligibility for record clean-up and will guide you through every step of the process.

We can help you pursue the following forms of post-conviction relief:

  • Expungement (Dismissal): Expungement does not erase the conviction entirely but provides significant relief. It allows eligible individuals to have their conviction(s) dismissed, improving future prospects.  A dismissal allows you to truthfully state on most job applications that you have not been convicted of a crime, removing a significant barrier to employment. Dismissals can also improve employment, housing, loan, and licensing opportunities. 
  • Record Sealing: In some cases, it may be possible to seal your criminal record, limiting who can access it and ensuring that certain background checks do not reveal past charges.
  • Sealing and Destroying Arrest Records: Arrest records without a resulting conviction may be eligible for sealing and/or destruction to protect privacy and prevent unfair consequences. If successful, this path removes arrest information from public access and most background checks. It can protect against discrimination based on arrest without conviction, enhance privacy and peace of mind, and prevent misuse of arrest records by employers, financial institutions, or landlords.
  • Reduce Felony Convictions to Misdemeanors: A felony conviction can have a devastating effect on your reputation, rights, and opportunities. Some felony convictions can be reduced to misdemeanors. Reduction not only minimizes  the severity of the conviction(s) reflected on your record but also improves eligibility for record expungement and sealing. It also may reduce the negative impact the conviction will have on housing, educational, licensing, and employment opportunities. A reduction may also restore certain rights lost due to felony status, such as firearms rights.
  • Early Termination of Probation: If you are currently on probation, we may be able to help you get off probation early. While you remain on probation, you have jail or prison time hanging over your head. Even the smallest potential violation can result in immediate incarceration and loss of your freedom. Securing early termination of probation would allow you to avoid that risk and put you in a position to pursue record clearing options like expungement.
  • Sealing of Juvenile Records: We can help you pursue sealing of juvenile offenses for a fresh start. Juvenile records are not automatically sealed when you turn 18, you need a judicial order to have them sealed and destroyed. Sealing and destruction prevents juvenile records from appearing on background checks, and removes barriers to education, employment, and housing. It helps protect privacy and provides a clean slate after youthful mistakes. 
  • Certificate of Rehabilitation: If you were sentenced to prison in California, you are generally not eligible for expungement (dismissal). However, you may be able to get a Certificate of Rehabilitation. If you have lived in California for the past five years and  have been out of prison for at least seven years, you may qualify. A Certificate of Rehabilitation in California is a court order declaring that a person who has been convicted of certain crimes has demonstrated rehabilitation and is now a law-abiding-citizen. Obtaining a Certificate of Rehabilitation demonstrates formal rehabilitation to employers, courts, and licensing agencies. It may help restore some civil rights lost due to felony convictions and can support other record clearing efforts. If granted, the Certificate of Rehabilitation is automatically forwarded to the Governor as an application for a full Governor’s Pardon.
  • Governor’s Pardon: A Governor’s pardon recognizes rehabilitation and offers the strongest form of official forgiveness in California. Although a pardon will not erase your criminal record, it can be a significant step towards restoring civil rights, including voting and firearm rights, as well as opportunities lost due to a criminal conviction. A pardon can support other record clearing efforts such as dismissal or sealing of records and enhances credibility with employers and licensing bodies.
  • Petition for Removal from Megan’s Law Website: We can help eligible clients petition for removal from the Megan’s Law website.
  • Finding of Factual Innocence: In some circumstances, we can secure a court determination that a person did not commit the offense they were convicted of, based on new evidence or legal errors. If successful, this can lead to immediate dismissal of charges, erasure of the conviction, and removal of all legal disabilities associated with the conviction. It restores reputation fully as the criminal conviction is removed from the recipients record.

Why Choose Us?

At Law Offices of Maxwell J. Wright, we understand the weight of a criminal record and are committed to helping you secure a brighter future. The firm offers tailored solutions with compassionate support throughout the process. We are dedicated to helping clients regain their reputations and peace of mind.

Contact us today for a confidential consultation to learn more about how we can assist in cleaning up your criminal record and securing a new beginning.