Expungement and Rights Restoration Lawyers in Pendleton, Oregon
When you’re convicted of a crime, there are a number of consequences. In addition to whatever sentence you must serve, your personal criminal record is updated to include your conviction.
Depending on the crime, it may stay on your record forever. It can cost you access to certain rights, such as the right to own a firearm or the right to drive a car.
However, there are things you can do to change your situation— the first is to hire Lohrke Law to be your rights restoration lawyer.
Together, we can pursue several different avenues to have your status changed and restore your rights. Whether it is expungement, reduction, or a petition to restore lost rights, Lohrke Law can help you choose the best option.
Rights Restoration Services Provided by Lohrke Law
When you hire Lohrke Law to be your rights restoration lawyer, here’s what we can do to help change your legal status and get your rights back:
Expungement Lawyer
Our first and most preferred course of action is to file for an expungement, legally referred to as a set aside. An expungement removes an arrest or conviction from your record and allows you to deny that it occurred.
This will allow you to legally deny having been convicted of a crime (or even arrested) when going to purchase firearms, apply for certain jobs, or petition for anything else that requires you have no prior criminal record.
If your expungement is completed thoroughly by an experienced rights restoration attorney, there should be no official trace of the case aside from a sealed court file that can only be opened in limited circumstances, with a court order, plus a notation record within the highly confidential set aside unit of the Oregon State Police.
Eligibility for Expungement
While expungement is the preferred method to restore your rights, not all crimes are eligible to be expunged. Some crimes, including most sex crimes or driving convictions, can often not be removed from your record. But there may be other options to minimize their impact.
Additionally, you cannot file for an expungement if you have any currently outstanding criminal charges. However, there is no limit to the number of times you can apply.
When you work with an experienced rights restoration lawyer, they will identify if your conviction is eligible for expungement and advise you on how best to proceed.
Felony Reduction
If expungement is not an option, one alternative is to pursue a felony reduction. As the name suggests, this means having a prior felony conviction reduced down to a misdemeanor.
This will not remove the conviction from your record, but it will remove “felon” status from your name, allowing you to pursue things previously unavailable because of the conviction, such as purchasing a firearm or getting certain jobs, or volunteering with your child’s sports team.
Driving Rights
Some convictions, such as DUI-related offenses, come with driving restrictions. If your driver’s license is suspended for life, it generally means you can petition to restore your right to drive ten years after the conviction or release from prison. This assumes you have not gotten additional driving-related charges during that ten year period.
If you want to start driving again, get in touch with the rights restoration lawyers at Lohrke Law today.
Firearm Rights
If you’ve lost your right to own a firearm, know that you might be able to restore that right. Depending on how much time has passed, and a number of other factors, you can petition the courts to have your right to own a firearm restored. In most cases this also restores your eligibility to be granted an Oregon concealed handgun license (CHL).
Why Hire Lohrke Law as Your Pendleton and Northeast Oregon Rights Restoration Lawyer?
If you’re looking to hire an expungement lawyer in Pendleton or Northeast Oregon, call Lohrke Law to find out if we are right for you. We are based in Springfield, but we practice throughout the state and have a lot of experience in northeast Oregon.
We are native Oregonians who have experience with rights restoration matters in courts all over the state. We use that experience to help our clients make decisions that let them put their best case forward.
Experience
We’ve been rights restoration lawyers for more than a decade, and have developed a highly skilled team of experienced professionals who handle your case right.
Rights restoration cases can be tricky. It can be difficult to find accurate and updated information when doing your own research. There can be a lot of legal gray areas and knowing the proper procedure is half the battle for success, especially with expungement.
Don’t take chances with an expungement that is less than complete. Hire Lohrke Law and let us use our expertise to get your rights back.
Commitment to You and the Law
For us, this work is about helping people set the record straight. It is about helping our clients have the record and rights that reflect who they are today. We believe strongly that past criminal records do not define a person and should not continue to hold you back.
The attorneys at Lohrke Law have committed ourselves to helping people clear their names and their records because we know it’s the right thing to do.
You are more than just some client to us. You are a valued partner in a fight for justice. We look forward to the journey!
Contact Lohrke Law Today and Start Your Rights Restoration Journey
If you’ve had any rights lost or restricted because of a past conviction, contact the rights restoration lawyers at Lohrke Law. We’re standing by, ready to use our years of experience restoring rights to get yours back.
Get in touch today and let’s start working on your case.