Sealing Misdemeanors in Arkansas

We get it: bad things happen. But, most of the time, people are not bad, maybe they just had a bad day. Maybe you or one of your loved ones made a mistake, faced legal problems because of it, and did everything the Court sentenced you to do. Now you want to close that chapter of your past so it no longer has an impact on your life or career goals. We here at The Law Group of Northwest Arkansas have the experience to take a look at these mistakes and see what can be done to put them where they belong: behind you.

(1) Background Check

The first thing you want to do is have a record of your case. The most important item is a copy of your Judgment and Commitment Order: it has important information about the date of the incident, the date of your sentence, what your crime(s) were, and the punishments for them. If you do not have the document, visit the clerk’s office of the court that sentenced you and ask for copies – there may be a $5 fee, but it is worth having the document before you meet with an attorney.

Sometimes people are not sure what Court they were in, or they had charges in multiple Courts they want to address to try and completely wipe the slate: it is nothing to be embarrassed about, we have handled people’s cases from all across the State before. If you are not sure what Court sentenced you, go to the Arkansas Crime Information Center website to get a copy of your criminal history. Get your copy here: https://dps.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/New_Authorization_Form_2019_fillable.pdf.

(2) Proof of Paid Fines & Time Limits

One thing every sealing request must have proof of is that you have paid all your court fees and fines and finished all the terms of your probation, if applicable. For fines, you will want to get a statement from the Court you paid showing that you have a $0 balance with them.

Probation in Arkansas for misdemeanor offenses typically comes as not committing a similar offense for a year: that means you have to wait a whole year for that time to expire before you can seal (even if you have already paid all your fines).

Note that some types of crimes have a minimum amount of time before you can seal them: for example, DWIs have a 10 year hold and domestic battery charges have a 5 year

(3) Filing

After you have filed the required paperwork, the Judge will review and either set a hearing on sealing your case or will sign the paperwork. Once signed, that paperwork goes to the State’s central filing system for the record to be sealed.

Hiring of a Knowledgeable Lawyer

The Record Sealing process can be tedious and time consuming. Having an attorney assist you from the beginning will make sure that none of your time is wasted and your matter resolved so that you can start the next chapter of your life. The Law Group of Northwest Arkansas PLLC’s team of professionals are available to help you navigate the process.

Contact our office today or call 479-316-3760 to schedule a consultation.