Expungements and Record Sealing
An Oregon Expungement or Record Sealing motion is a motion filed with the Court in a particular case that seals or removes that case from public view as though the conviction never occurred. This can assist in procuring housing, jobs, and many other societal benefits, including one’s civil and firearm rights. It can also reduce one’s Oregon criminal ranking which can reduce any future conviction consequences, sometimes dramatically, saving someone sometimes months or even years in jail or prison if a properly filed expungement has been executed. Expungement in Oregon is regulated by the Oregon Revised Statutes and juvenile as well as adult records may be sealed. The rules for expungement are complex and often involve waiting periods of 1 year, 3 years, and 10 years based on previous convictions as well as waiting periods based on the number of convictions.
Certain convictions are ineligble for record sealing such as traffic offenses and most major A and B felonies. Happily, most marijuana charges, except Manufacture of Marijuana, are expungeable and many other drug, theft, property crime, and minor person crime convictions are also expungeable. Those convictions that are eligible are defined by Oregon statute and your eligibility can be determined usually with a simple 30 minute office visit. Expungement is a sometimes lengthy process in many courts and can take 6+ months, so starting now can oftentimes mean your previous record can be gone within the same year.