In Arizona, misdemeanor<\/a> and felony<\/a> convictions will remain on your record until you turn 99. Arizona law does allow you to request that that the court set aside<\/a> qualifying convictions, but this does not remove the conviction from your criminal record. Anyone who runs a full background check<\/a> would still see the conviction on your criminal record, with a side note that the conviction has been set aside.<\/p>\n When the court approves an order to set aside a conviction, the judge will set aside the judgement of guilt; dismiss the complaint, information, or indictment; and order that you be released from all penalties and disabilities resulting from the conviction. While this doesn\u2019t expunge the conviction from your record, it does restore a number of civil rights that are typically stripped from individuals with a criminal conviction. These rights include:<\/p>\n Unfortunately, having a conviction set aside by a judge doesn\u2019t remove the conviction from your criminal record. If your employer (or prospective employer) runs a full background check, they will still see any convictions that have been set aside, albeit with an attachment that says the conviction has been set aside. As such, you should still indicate that you have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony when filling out job applications, though you can explain that the conviction has been set aside.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There aren\u2019t any state or federal laws that dictate how an employer can or should respond to an applicant\u2019s criminal record. It\u2019s up to the employer to decide whether the \u201cset aside\u201d status is sufficient to ignore the associated convictions. It’s safe to say that most employers still frown on convictions that have been set aside, but your chances of getting a job are definitely better if your conviction is set aside than if you don\u2019t take any action.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While many misdemeanor and felony convictions are eligible to be set aside, there are 5 situations where the convicted individual cannot apply to have the conviction set aside. These include:<\/p>\n In most cases, the judge will inform you of your right to have your conviction set aside when the judge delivers your sentence. The court may even provide you with a form<\/a> that you can use to apply to have the conviction set aside, though you\u2019ll need to wait to file this until you qualify.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In order to qualify, you\u2019ll first need to complete the terms of your sentencing. That includes serving any jail or prison time, paying your fines, fulfilling restitution requirements, and completing probation. If the sentence includes a mandate to attend classes for alcohol abuse, substance abuse, or domestic violence<\/a>, you\u2019ll need to complete these as well. Finally, if you have been convicted of two or more felonies and\/or sentenced to prison, you\u2019ll need to wait at least two years before applying to set aside the conviction.<\/p>\n When you’re eligible to apply to have your conviction set aside, here\u2019s how to go about the process:<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need to use an attorney to file a request to have your conviction set aside, but it certainly helps to have professional assistance. You can also work with your probation officer to apply to have the conviction set aside.<\/p>\n Each court has its own forms that you can use to petition to have your conviction set aside, and you\u2019ll need to work with the court that handled your case (I.e. if your case was in Phoenix, you can\u2019t apply to have your conviction set aside by a Tucson court). When you\u2019ve completed the appropriate forms, file them with the county clerk. There is no filing fee for this service.<\/p>\n After receiving your petition, the judge will evaluate your application based on the following criteria: the nature and circumstances of the offense; your compliance with the conditions of probation, the sentence imposed, and any applicable state DOC rules or regulations; any prior or subsequent convictions; the victim\u2019s input and restitution status; the length of time since the completion of your sentence; your age at the time of conviction; and any other relevant factors (ARS 13-907<\/a>).<\/p>\n As of January 1, 2023, individuals that have been arrested, convicted or sentenced in the State of Arizona may petition the courts to seal their records.<\/p>\n Following the enactment of A.R.S \u00a7 13.911, you may be eligible to seal your arrest record. Due to this groundbreaking new law, when an individual has their criminal record sealed, the records relating to the crime are hidden from public records, and no one may view the contents without a court order.<\/p>\n When a record is sealed, employers, landlords, and schools that run a background check will not come up with any record of your criminal conduct.<\/p>\n We may be able to help you if you were:<\/p>\n All case records that are sealed pursuant to this section may be:<\/p>\n If you are unsure whether or not you meet the criteria to have your record sealed, contact the criminal defense team at JacksonWhite. Our criminal defense team has years of experience defending their clients\u2019 rights, and they offer free case reviews to answer any questions you may have.<\/p>\n There are some states that allow you to completely expunge a conviction from your criminal record. These states often require that you complete the terms of your sentencing, your probation period (if applicable), and a waiting period before applying to have the conviction expunged. Unfortunately, Arizona law does not allow you to expunge convictions from your criminal record.<\/p>\n Although you can\u2019t expunge a conviction from your criminal record in Arizona, you can petition to have an arrest, indictment, and\/or criminal charge cleared from your criminal record if you were acquitted of the charges (ARS 13-4051<\/a>). The same law allows you to clear mistakes from your criminal record.<\/p>\n The good news is that you don\u2019t need an attorney to accomplish this\u2014you can obtain the form online and submit the completed form to the court clerk. The bad news is that a successful petition to correct the mistake doesn\u2019t actually remove it from your record. As with an order to set aside a conviction, an order to correct mistakes on your criminal record simply adds a note to your record that indicates you were cleared of the charges.<\/p>\n At JacksonWhite Law, we offer our clients superior legal help that takes into consideration all possible angles. If you’ve been charged with any class of misdemeanor in Arizona, contact us today to make the most of your case.<\/p>\n Our experienced defense attorneys<\/a> will work hard to reduce the impact of your charges, and get you recovered as fast as possible. Call our criminal defense team\u00a0today at\u00a0(480) 467-4370<\/a>\u00a0for your free and confidential consultation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Introduction In Arizona, misdemeanor and felony convictions will remain on your record until you turn 99. Arizona law does allow you to request that that the court set aside qualifying convictions, but this does not remove the conviction from your criminal record. Anyone who runs a full background check would still see the conviction on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2256],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-misdemeanors"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Does it Mean to Set Aside a Conviction?<\/h2>\n
\n
How Do Employers Treat a Conviction That Has Been Set Aside?<\/h2>\n
Crimes that are Ineligible for Setting Aside a Conviction<\/h2>\n
\n
How to Set Aside a Conviction in Arizona<\/h2>\n
Discuss Your Case with an Attorney<\/h3>\n
File the Appropriate Forms<\/h3>\n
Wait for the Judge to Review Your Petition<\/h3>\n
2023 Update: Get Your Record Sealed<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
Is it Possible to Have a Conviction Expunged From Your Criminal Record?<\/h2>\n
Can You “Clear Your Records” if You are Cleared of All Charges?<\/h2>\n
Reducing the Impact of Your Charge<\/h2>\n