Alcohol & Drugs: DUI, DWI advice please

[vidamos]

On october 31, 2000 I was arrested for a DUI in California. I was 20 yrs old and stupid. Appearing in court the charge was dropped to a wreckless driving, but I was sentenced to 11 days in a detention center. I'm currently seeking a career in law enforcement and I was wondering if it would be possible to get this minor infraction expunged off of my permanent record.
Please Help,
Thank You

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Originally posted by vidamos
On october 31, 2000 I was arrested for a DUI in California. I was 20 yrs old and stupid. Appearing in court the charge was dropped to a wreckless driving, but I was sentenced to 11 days in a detention center. I'm currently seeking a career in law enforcement and I was wondering if it would be possible to get this minor infraction expunged off of my permanent record.
Please Help,
Thank You

In California I believe that the expungement shows up as a dismissal and that the record of your arrest doesn't just disappear. You can say that you were never convicted of a crime in the event of a successful expungement. In CA, I believe there are four basic requirements that need to be fulfilled:

Generally, there are four basic requirements that you must meet in order to be eligible for expungement in California:

1. You cannot currently be on probation at the time you apply;

2. If you weren't placed on probation at sentencing, you must wait at least one year before applying for expungement.

3. If you were placed on formal probation at sentencing then you may be required to file through the probation department.

4. Each case number and likely each conviction will require a separate petition for expungement.

An exception may include being on probation for a misdemeanor where you can request an early release from probation and then file to have your conviction expunged/dismissed.

I don't know how this might affect your ability to apply to CA law enforcement and you can call them without giving your name and I'm sure they'll tell you. I'm also not sure if expungement helps you here because I think that you cannot say that you were never convicted of a misdemeanor if asked but can say that the conviction was dismissed. Additionally, those agencies or employers must then treat you as though you were never convicted.