Sealing a DWUI Conviction in Wyoming

Criminal charges for drunk driving can change your life. A conviction for Driving While Under the Influence (DWUI) can result in fines and possible jail time, damage to your reputation, mandatory installation of an Ignition Interlock Device (IID), and loss of your driver’s license.

A DWUI conviction will go on your permanent criminal record and can be seen whenever someone conducts a background check. Criminal charges can result in lost job opportunities, impact your professional license, and even make it more difficult to be accepted into college or technical school.

Fortunately, Wyoming allows you to have criminal charges for DWUI removed from your permanent record. Expungement is the legal process of sealing your criminal record so the public cannot see it. Once you have a DWUI conviction expunged, you will have a clean slate, and it will be as if the offense never happened.

How to Have a DWUI Conviction Expunged

You must complete your sentence before you can have a DWUI conviction expunged. This may include serving jail time and probation, paying fines, and completing DWUI classes.

Once you have completed your sentence, you must wait five years from the date of your conviction before you can file for expungement.

To have criminal charges expunged, you must first request a copy of your criminal record and verify that you are eligible for expungement. If you meet the requirements for expungement, you can file a petition with the court to have your criminal record sealed. The judge will review your record, and if your petition is granted, the DWUI will be expunged. Once your criminal record has been expunged, it will be sealed from public view.

Can You Expunge Multiple Convictions?

Having multiple criminal charges on your record can complicate matters. In Wyoming, you can only have criminal charges expunged once, and you must file the petition in the court where you were convicted.

When you have multiple criminal charges in different courts, you must choose which conviction you want to expunge.

If you have multiple convictions from the same court, you might be able to have both convictions expunged.

Why You Should Hire an Attorney to Help with DWUI Expungement

You are not required to have an attorney represent you in a petition for expungement. But if you represent yourself, you will be held to the same standards as a lawyer.

While the expungement process may seem straightforward, subtle nuances of your situation can complicate matters.

1. You need to determine whether you are eligible for expungement.
2. You must obtain your complete criminal record. If you have multiple convictions in multiple courts, you must obtain records from multiple jurisdictions and decide which ones are eligible for expungement and which charge(s) to expunge.
3. You will need to know the name and date of the charges, the statutory citation, and the date of your sentence.
4. You must complete the appropriate forms and file them in the correct court.
5. You should include a proposed order of expungement for the judge to sign.
6. Before filing the petition for expungement, you will need to prepare and serve copies of the expungement forms on any interested parties.
7. You can only expunge your criminal record once.

To maximize your chances of success, you should consider working with an attorney. The team at Just Criminal Law can help by obtaining and reviewing your criminal record to determine whether you are eligible to have your DWUI charges expunged. We can prepare and file the necessary paperwork and ensure it is filed with the correct court. If the judge schedules a hearing on your petition for expungement, we will represent you in court and explain to the judge why your petition for expungement should be granted.

Contact Just Criminal Law for Help Having Criminal Charges Expunged

Contact Just Criminal Law for help expunging criminal charges from your permanent record. During your personalized case review and strategy session, we will review your situation to determine whether you are eligible for expungement. We can obtain and file the necessary paperwork and represent you in court if necessary.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this article is offered for educational purposes only. This information is not offered as legal advice. A person accused of a crime should always consult with an attorney before making decisions that have legal consequences.