The Dolan Law Offices specialize in California record clearing laws. Our knowledgeable and experienced attorneys offer many valuable services to those who have made past mistakes but have presently put their transgressions behind them.
One example of the numerous services that the Dolan Law Offices offer is preparation of a petition for a certificate of rehabilitation. Our attorneys will optimize your chances of success as we have represented many Californians obtain such a certificate. We have helped many close the book on their past, thus allowing them to move forward into the future with finality and a clear conscience.
Normally, when seeking to clear a record of a past crime, we analyze and determine if a client is eligible for an expungement. However, individuals convicted of a felony who served time in state prison or were convicted of certain misdemeanor sex crimes are not eligible to expunge their conviction.
However, while a certificate of rehabilitation is not a complete deletion of a criminal record – it does not seal or keep from public access a record of conviction – it has many of the same benefits as an expungement. It attests to a petitioner’s rehabilitation since conviction. It serves as an official endorsement from the issuing court that the petitioner is presently a law-abiding member of society whose criminal tendencies are well in the past.
A petition under California Penal Code § 4852.01 must be filed to obtain a certificate of rehabilitation. Anyone sentenced to either state prison or county jail under California’s realignment program, who also meets the following criteria may apply for a certificate of rehabilitation:
- The petitioner has not been re-incarcerated since release;
- The petitioner has continuously lived in California resident for at least five (5) years since release or for three (3) years if on parole;
- The requisite amount of additional time (rehabilitation period) has passed depending on the type of offense;
- The petitioner provides proof of rehabilitation since release;
- The petitioner is not on probation for the conviction of another felony; and
- The petitioner has served felony probation or was convicted of a misdemeanor sex offense under California Penal Code § 290 that has since been expunged.
A successful petition for a certificate of rehabilitation in California also creates an automatic application, and recommendation from the County Court, for an official Pardon from the Governor of California. The Dolan Law Offices have also helped many clients successfully obtain a Governor’s Pardon.
If you have a criminal record in California, you may have experienced unfortunate, detrimental consequences because of this criminal past. The State of California provides options for individuals desirous of clearing their criminal record. The Dolan Law Offices can help. For over forty years, we have provided Californians with post-conviction services that clear their criminal past for the sake of their future as productive, law-abiding members of society. Call us today at (760) 775-3739 or find out more online here.
