Expungement Petition
Drafts a petition for expungement or sealing of criminal records satisfying jurisdiction-specific statutory requirements.
Prerequisites
Before drafting, collect and confirm:
- Jurisdiction — state/county, controlling statute, local court rules/formatting
- Criminal records — per incident: arrest date, agency, charges (common name + citation), case/docket number, court, disposition, sentence, completion date
- Petitioner ID — full legal name (as in criminal proceedings), DOB, address, name changes
- Eligibility — waiting periods satisfied, offense category eligible, no statutory disqualifiers
- Rehabilitation evidence — employment, education, community involvement, treatment, character references
Quick Start
- Confirm jurisdiction's terminology (expungement / sealing / set-aside / certificate of rehabilitation) — use it consistently throughout
- Verify statutory eligibility using the checklist in §4 below
- Draft sections 1–7 in order
- Mark uncertain citations with
[VERIFY]
Petition Structure
1. Court Caption
| Element |
Requirements |
| Court name |
Full legal name, county/district, state |
| Case number |
Original criminal case number; "to be assigned" if new civil petition |
| Petitioner name |
As in criminal proceedings; aliases parenthetical |
| Document title |
Jurisdiction-appropriate ("Petition for Expungement," "Motion to Seal," etc.) |
| Formatting |
Per local rules: font, margins, line spacing, page numbering |
2. Petitioner Identification & Standing
- Full legal name, address, DOB, contact information
- Name change explanation if applicable
- Residency status and duration
- Statement confirming identity as the individual in the criminal matter
- Flag if identifying info should be filed under seal per local rules
3. Records Sought
Present each record chronologically:
| Field |
Detail |
| Date of arrest |
Exact date |
| Arresting agency |
Full name |
| Charges filed |
Common name + statutory citation |
| Court / Case no. |
Court name + docket number |
| Disposition |
Dismissed (with/without prejudice), plea, trial conviction |
| Sentence |
Sentence imposed, completion date, probation/parole details |
| Post-conviction relief |
Modifications or early termination already granted |
Check whether multiple cases require a single petition or separate filings under local rules.
4. Legal Grounds & Statutory Eligibility
Structure as a checklist against the controlling statute:
1---2name: expungement-petition3description: Drafts jurisdiction-specific petitions for expungement or sealing of criminal records. Covers caption construction, statutory eligibility analysis, rehabilitation narratives, and prayer for relief. Use when drafting expungement petitions, record-sealing motions, set-aside petitions, or certificates of rehabilitation in post-conviction proceedings.4---5
6# Expungement Petition
7
8Drafts a petition for expungement or sealing of criminal records satisfying jurisdiction-specific statutory requirements.
9
10## Prerequisites
11
12Before drafting, collect and confirm:
13
14- **Jurisdiction** — state/county, controlling statute, local court rules/formatting
15- **Criminal records** — per incident: arrest date, agency, charges (common name + citation), case/docket number, court, disposition, sentence, completion date
16- **Petitioner ID** — full legal name (as in criminal proceedings), DOB, address, name changes
17- **Eligibility** — waiting periods satisfied, offense category eligible, no statutory disqualifiers
18- **Rehabilitation evidence** — employment, education, community involvement, treatment, character references
19
20## Quick Start
21
221. Confirm jurisdiction's terminology (expungement / sealing / set-aside / certificate of rehabilitation) — use it consistently throughout
232. Verify statutory eligibility using the checklist in §4 below
243. Draft sections 1–7 in order
254. Mark uncertain citations with `[VERIFY]`
26
27## Petition Structure
28
29### 1. Court Caption
30
31| Element | Requirements |
32|---------|-------------|
33| Court name | Full legal name, county/district, state |
34| Case number | Original criminal case number; "to be assigned" if new civil petition |
35| Petitioner name | As in criminal proceedings; aliases parenthetical |
36| Document title | Jurisdiction-appropriate ("Petition for Expungement," "Motion to Seal," etc.) |
37| Formatting | Per local rules: font, margins, line spacing, page numbering |
38
39### 2. Petitioner Identification & Standing
40
41- Full legal name, address, DOB, contact information
42- Name change explanation if applicable
43- Residency status and duration
44- Statement confirming identity as the individual in the criminal matter
45- Flag if identifying info should be filed under seal per local rules
46
47### 3. Records Sought
48
49Present each record chronologically:
50
51| Field | Detail |
52|-------|--------|
53| Date of arrest | Exact date |
54| Arresting agency | Full name |
55| Charges filed | Common name + statutory citation |
56| Court / Case no. | Court name + docket number |
57| Disposition | Dismissed (with/without prejudice), plea, trial conviction |
58| Sentence | Sentence imposed, completion date, probation/parole details |
59| Post-conviction relief | Modifications or early termination already granted |
60
61Check whether multiple cases require a single petition or separate filings under local rules.
62
63### 4. Legal Grounds & Statutory Eligibility
64
65Structure as a checklist against the controlling statute:
CaseMark