Facing the criminal justice system in Oklahoma can be a very stressful process, but the impacts of a criminal conviction and arrest record last long after your case is complete. Due to the ease of accessing information on OSCN.net and other search engines, your criminal record can be seen by anyone at any time, if they have access to the internet. Fortunately, the Fierce Advocates® at Cannon and Associates are dedicated expungement lawyers and we are here to help you get criminal record removed from public view. 

Free Resources from OKC Expungement Attorneys:

Do you want your Oklahoma criminal record expunged for a clean start? Our team of Your Fierce Advocates® at Cannon & Associates is led by Army Veteran, John Cannon and we’re privileged to be Oklahoma City criminal record expungement attorneys. Our Oklahoma expungement attorneys can help you explore options for a fresh start to Your Better Future. Please find FREE RESOURCES on our YouTube page, our website, and our FAQ Expungement in Oklahoma page, until we meet to answer your specific Oklahoma expungement questions. You may also CALL NOW at (405) 972-8604, 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week for a free Oklahoma expungement planning session to understand your options for if or when you qualify for an expungement in Oklahoma!

Oklahoma law provides a detailed process that if followed will result in your criminal record being expunged. The Oklahoma expungement process seals all records from public view of your arrest, court records, and other records related to your criminal involvement. The long-term financial and personal benefits of having your record expunged cannot be overstated. By law in Oklahoma, you can deny any prior criminal history that has been expunged. Legally, it is like the events never happened.

Our Oklahoma City expungement lawyers will meet with you for a FREE confidential expungement planning meeting to determine what type of expungement you are eligible for in Oklahoma. Our Oklahoma City expungement lawyers will draft the necessary documents, file them appropriately, and fight for your expungement all in a matter of weeks! The process to obtain an expungement is complex due to the notice requirements to necessary parties and the process for presenting your pleadings to the Court. However, Your Fierce Advocates® at Cannon and Associates will do all the heavy lifting for you to obtain an expungement and have your record sealed.

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Expungement in Oklahoma

Steps to Get Your Record Expunged

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What is an Expungement?

An expungement is a legal term for sealing court records and arrest records from public view. When you receive a Court Order in your expungement case, the expungement order is provided to the government offices that have records of your arrest or criminal case. The expungement order is a lawful Court Order that instructs the government office to seal your records. 

After you receive an expungement in Oklahoma, law enforcement agencies can see your expunged records and prosecution officers can see your expunged records. However, most government agencies cannot access your expunged records and no public entities can access your expunged records.

The expungement does not erase your criminal arrest and criminal court records, but it seals them from public view and you can deny their existence, as if it never happened. 

What does Expungements mean in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma law provides for two types of expungements. Your criminal records determine what type of expungement you are eligible for under Oklahoma law. 

The first type of expungement in Oklahoma, a Section 18 expungement, provides the greatest benefit. Our Oklahoma City expungement attorneys will fight to obtain this type of expungement for every client that is eligible. Obtaining a Section 18 expungement results in your entire arrest record being expunged. Read our article below:

What is a Section 18 Expungement in Oklahoma?

The second type of expungement in Oklahoma, a Section 991(c) expungement, is more limited than a Section 18 expungement. Our Oklahoma City expungement attorneys will only seek a Section 991(c) expungement for clients that cannot obtain a Section 18 expungement. 

Obtaining a Section 991(c) expungement will result in the plea in your criminal case being expunged, sealed, and the docket for the case will be updated from your original plea to “Pled Not Guilty – Case Dismissed.” Unfortunately, if you only qualify for a 991(c) expungement, your arrest record will not be sealed. 

Deferred Sentences and 991(c) Expungement

What Makes You Eligible for Expungement in Oklahoma?

You must be charged or convicted of certain non-violent felonies and non-violent misdemeanors in order to be eligible for a Section 18 expungement in Oklahoma. Additionally, you must meet the statutory criteria for expungement. For the purpose of this article, a specific amount of time must have passed since your sentence was completed or you must have received a pardon in order to seek an expungement for a conviction. The timeline for a Section 18 expungement following completion of a deferred sentence is also based on the specific offense charged. Our Oklahoma City expungement attorneys can tell you if your situation qualifies for a Section 18 expungement and if not, whether you qualify for a Section 991(c) expungement.

Until we have the opportunity to meet with you and answer your specific questions and address your circumstance, you’re encouraged to read the detailed Section 18 expungement guidance in the following article: What is a Section 18 Expungement in Oklahoma?

Can I obtain a partial Expungement, if I’m not eligible for a Section 18 Expungement?

You may qualify for a partial expungement, if you are not eligible for a Section 18 expungement in Oklahoma. Eligibility for Section 18 expungement is more restrictive than eligibility for expungement in Oklahoma under Section 991(c). Qualification for expungement in Oklahoma under Section 991(c) requires you received a deferred sentence or had delayed sentencing and your case has been dismissed based on completion of your delayed or deferred sentence.

Can I Expunge a Victim Protective Order in Oklahoma?

You may be able to expunge a prior Victim Protective Order (VPO) in Oklahoma, if you qualify under the Oklahoma VPO expungement statute. Oklahoma Statute Title 22 Section 60.18 dictates the requirements for expungement of a VPO in Oklahoma:

1. The protective order has been vacated or cancelled by the Court;

2. The protective order was a temporary, emergency, or ex party protective order and it was dismissed, withdrawn, or denied; or

3. The person seeking the protective order passed away.

You may file a Petition to expunge a VPO once 90 days have passed since the final hearing on the protective order. If it has been more than 90 days since the last hearing on a protective order, then you may file a petition to have this record expunged.

Until we can meet with you and evaluate the specific circumstances of your VPO, you’re encouraged to read the VPO expungement guidance in the following article: Expungement of a VPO

The rules surrounding expungement are complex. If you have questions about whether you are eligible for expungement or what you need to do to qualify, schedule a free consultation with an Oklahoma City expungement lawyer.

Why Should I Get my Criminal Record Expunged?

An expungment is an investment into your future. When you successfully obtain a Court Order for expungment, the records associated with your arrest or conviction are removed from public view. Some of the most common benefits of an expungement of your criminal records, include: 

  • An increased earning potential as employers cannot find your arrest record; 
  • You can lawfully deny the criminal records on background checks once the records are expunged
  • The public, your peers, and your family will not be able to find your arrest record or criminal record once they are expunged. 

As stated above, your arrest record and criminal record in court is public information. Many agencies maintain criminal and arrest records and are required to provide this information to the public when requested properly. Additionally, the records are compiled and published by third-party websites and www.oscn.net 

Yes, law enforcement can still access your criminal record and arrest record. Yes, prosecution offices would be able to see your prior criminal record, if you are charged in a subsequent criminal case. However, basically everyone else is unable to view these records for the rest of your life. Most importantly to many of our clients, you may deny you were ever arrested and you may deny you were ever charged with a crime to anyone that asks! 

In summary, once your Oklahoma expungement order is filed, you can breathe relief knowing that no one will find out about your record, unless they knew about it before or you tell them. Our experienced Oklahoma City expungement attorneys can help you understand the process and do all the work for you to obtain an expungement.

What Does an Expungement Cost in Oklahoma?

An expungement in Oklahoma costs you time and money. Whether you work with an Oklahoma City expungement attorney or not, there are processing fees with the Court where your expungement is filed and each agency that processes your expungement court order. 

The amount of time it takes to complete your expungement is up to you. It is possible to seek an expungement without an Oklahoma expungement attorney. 

However, you are obligated to perform each of the following steps in accordance with the procedures and rules of expungement in Oklahoma, which will cost you a substantial amount of time:

  1. File the correct Expungement Petition;
  2. Serve notice of your Expungement Petition to the right parties;
  3. Provide a copy of your Expungement Petition to the assigned expungement Judge and schedule a hearing before the court;
  4. Serve notice of the expungement hearing on all necessary parties;
  5. Appear and argue your Petition for Expungement to the Court;
  6. Present a valid Court Order for Expungement to the Court for signature at the hearing; and
  7. Serve each necessary party with a copy of your Expungement Order and ensure they act upon the Expungement Order. 

We have helped many clients obtain an expungement of their records after they spent a substantial amount of “time” seeking an expungement without a lawyer. They would tell you the time wasted is worth more than the fee to hire an experienced Oklahoma City expungement lawyer. 

The process to obtain an expungement in Oklahoma is complicated in part because it is comparable to filing a lawsuit against all the interested parties and seeking a court order to force them to seal your records. Your Fierce Advocates® at Cannon and Associates have developed a detailed process for obtaining expungements for clients.

Our Oklahoma City expungement attorneys have existing contacts at all the relevant state agencies and law enforcement departments, i.e. the Oklahoma City Police Department and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations (OSBI) in order to expedite the process for each of our expungement clients. You can seek an expungement without a lawyer; however, it may cost you more time than it is worth. Our fees are competitive for expungement attorneys and we would be honored to show you the value of investing in our team seeking your expungement. 

Can I Get a Violent Felony Expunged in Oklahoma?

No, if you were convicted of a violent felony in Oklahoma, then you cannot obtain an expungement under Oklahoma law. Violent felonies are limited to the most serious offenses under Oklahoma law, i.e. homicides, aggravated assault and battery, burglary in the first degree, and the majority of sex crimes.  

We encourage you to reach out to our Oklahoma City expungement attorneys for a FREE confidential expungement eligibility evaluation, even if you fear you are not eligible for expungement in Oklahoma. We are glad to review your circumstance with you and advise you whether or when you qualify for an expungement under Oklahoma law.

Will My Criminal Record Show Up on a Background Check after it’s Expunged?

Generally speaking sealed and expunged records do not show up on any background checks in Oklahoma. However, other third-party online records may still show up after an expungement. Additionally, law enforcement agencies cannot share your sealed criminal records, but law enforcement can still access the information for its own purposes. 

Some government background checks or security clearance checks will be able to access the information within your sealed or expunged criminal records. We encourage you to contact our Oklahoma City expungement attorneys related to questions about what will be protected from view in a completed expungement. 

CONTACT CANNON & ASSOCIATES TODAY – YOUR FIERCE ADVOCATES® AND EXPUNGEMENT ATTORNEYS

Having a criminal record or arrest record over your head is a heavy burden to carry. The investment into an expungement is money well spent for the peace of mind that comes with knowing your past is no longer visible to the public. Seeking an expungement once you qualify after a conviction or dismissal of your case following a deferred sentence is a smart choice.  

Your Fierce Advocates® at Cannon & Associates are dedicated to answering your questions about whether or when you qualify for an expungement in Oklahoma. We are proud to state that we have helped many clients with expunging their criminal record. There is nothing better than seeing the relief on a client’s face after they know their criminal record has been sealed and they can put the situation behind them. 

Free Resources from OKC Expungement Attorneys

Do you want your Oklahoma criminal record expunged for a clean start? Our team of Your Fierce Advocates® at Cannon & Associates is led by Army Veteran, John Cannon and we’re privileged to be Oklahoma City criminal record expungement attorneys. Our Oklahoma expungement attorneys can help you explore options for a fresh start to Your Better Future. Please find FREE RESOURCES on our YouTube page, our website, and our FAQ Expungement in Oklahoma page, until we meet to answer your specific Oklahoma expungement questions. You may also CALL NOW at (405) 972-8604, 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week for a free Oklahoma expungement planning session to understand your options for if or when you qualify for an expungement in Oklahoma!

CALL NOW 405-591-3935 for your free confidential expungement evaluation. We are here to help you clean up your past and we are glad to work with you and your finances.