How to get your records expunged?
There are a couple of different ways a person in Iowa can have their record expunged. The first is if they are acquitted or charges are dismissed outright. The second is if they successfully complete a deferred judgment. The third is if they are convicted of a crime such as public intoxication or minor in possession of alcohol. All other charges whether misdemeanor or felony if they result in a conviction stay on the individual’s criminal history, their criminal record forever. On a dismissed charge, on an acquitted charge the individual has to be acquitted of all charges that were filed in connection with that incident or have those charges dismissed.
Once they’re dismissed they have to then wait 180 days and then there has to be an application to the court for expungement of those accusations. If a person receives a deferred judgment they have to successfully comply with probation, they have to comply with the conditions imposed by the courts on the deferred judgment and then all costs associated with that that the individual is responsible for must be paid off. Once that is successfully completed then the court enters an order expunging that instance from the record. All other criminal offenses except for public intox and minor possession of alcohol that result in a conviction will stay on the person’s record forever.
Public intoxication can be expunged so long as the individual has not been convicted of another crime within two years following that conviction so an attorney can always assist with instituting that process and ensuring that the proper paperwork is entered and order has entered expunging those offenses.
