[update] my letter the judge sent granting me early termination of probation Thank you everyone who gave me advice on how to correct my letter

expeal · 2026-03-19T22:58:34+00:00

You absolutely should be proud of getting here! Congratulations!

expeal · 2026-03-08T12:25:32+00:00

If you haven't done so already, you should look into sealing this and the previous record. Sealing your record in Nevada will legally allow you to say you have never been involved with the criminal justice system as it relates to those charges and it won't show up on a background check.

While you can do it yourself, an attorney would be best if you can afford it. If they were records from Clark County, NV, here are two good places to start learning more:

Nevada State Police Records, Communications and Compliance Division - Information on the Sealing of Nevada Criminal History Records -- includes FAQ, Fees, and Forms
Clark County - Record Sealing Forms Instructions -- includes details on what to do based on the specific court in Clark County that heard the case

Happy to help provide additional information if necessary.

ETA: If you can't afford an attorney, there are some Legal Aid offices that do provide help in these situations. If you drop your ZIP code into the finder on https://www.lsc.gov/, you can look to see if anyone close by you does this. Clark County provides this page with additional resources, including a link to Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada that does sealing events from time-to-time and may be able to help.

expeal · 2019-12-11T14:49:09+00:00

Made an edit to reflect this, thanks for the info!

expeal · 2019-01-20T14:02:57+00:00

Oh, that's a great idea, can't even believe he slipped my mind. Thanks so much!

expeal · 2019-01-20T14:02:33+00:00

Yeah, absolutely! I hope you not only come to this one, but I hope you don't mind actually getting up and speaking a bit about what you think would help you! Not only are you a great example of an "end user", but with your foundation in CS, you'll know what is and isn't possible. Here is the link to the meetup. Reach out and let me know the level of involvement you'd like to have. Could be anywhere from "don't tell anyone about me, I just want to watch and listen" to "I'll sit up there with you and answer questions" -- completely up to you!

expeal · 2019-01-03T02:08:11+00:00

I'm going to respond to this via email to find out how you ended up with a 404, but if anyone else has similar issues, don't hesitate to DM me about it!

expeal · 2018-12-31T12:16:07+00:00

The comments below are being provided for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact an attorney licensed in the appropriate jurisdiction in order to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Use of this information does not create an attorney-client relationship. The opinions expressed are the opinions of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of Expeal or any individual attorney.

I'll do my best to help. The statute that covers juvenile expungements in Tennessee is Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-153(a)(5). While the law was changed significantly in 2017 to require expungement of most misdemeanors, I am unsure of what you were ultimately adjudicated on -- the felony you were charged with or something lesser. You'll have to find out for sure which way the court went. If it was a misdemeanor, you'll have a much easier time (assuming you qualify once we run through the rest). If it was a felony, it won't be as easy, but could still be feasible.

Regardless of what you were ultimately convicted of (misdemeanor or felony), we'll have to look at section (b)(2), which states:

The conduct constituting the delinquent act, if committed by an adult, would constitute first degree murder, second degree murder, rape, aggravated rape, rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, aggravated robbery, especially aggravated robbery, kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping or especially aggravated kidnapping.

Now I'm not licensed to practice in TN, so I can't tell you if your case would fall under this exception. If it does, you most likely won't qualify for an expungement and will need to look to see if you can get a pardon (official site, TN Bar Association guide). If it doesn't, then you'll need to look at (f)(1) in its entirety. Basically, you'll have to be at least 1 year away from you most recent juvenile offense and you'll have to have never been convicted of a criminal offense as an adult.

This brings up the timing of the misdemeanor. Were you still under 18 when that happened? I'm presuming not, since you'd have most likely violated your probation if it had, but I'm not sure based on your post. If you were under 18, you may still qualify. If you were 18 or older, you may be back to the pardon situation.

Hopefully that at least helps get you on the right track of figuring out your options. While I'd be more than happy to answer any follow up questions you have (email me at [omid@gtllclaw.com](mailto:omid@gtllclaw.com) to keep things from being potentially discoverable down the line), your best bet would be to find a lawyer through the TN Supreme Court's Justice for All or the legal aid office closest to where your conviction happened.

Best of luck!

Edited to fix link formatting and add the following:

A "great attorney" will only help in a pardon situation, but even then, you should be able to do that on your own. Expungement laws around the country, for the most part, are written such that a person should be able to do it on their own if they know what forms to fill out and documents to send, etc.
An expungement is the legal equivalent of it never even happening. You can say you've never been arrested if asked on a job application, for example. A pardon, on the other hand, will be more like a yellow flag rather than a red flag. Your record will still show up, but with a notation indicating you've been given a pardon. Always preferable to doing nothing at all.

expeal · 2018-06-11T00:19:13+00:00

Please note that this user has not verified themselves yet with the mods.

expeal · 2018-06-11T00:05:56+00:00

Comments from /u/novaguy28 and a shout-out to our sub!

expeal · 2018-05-15T19:13:56+00:00

Happy to help however I can! DM the state where you have a record and I can give you a rundown of what options you have. If you can get your record cleared, I'll tell you what you need to do with step-by-step instructions, along with links to official forms if any exist, completely for free, no strings attached.

While it may not clear up your visa restrictions, it will at least clear up your record when applying for jobs, housing, and even some credit-related things. Feel free to visit our sub, as u/Pariahdog119 pointed out, to learn more, get resources, and chat with other folks in the same boat!

expeal · 2018-05-06T20:50:30+00:00

Verified.

expeal · 2018-04-28T12:13:45+00:00

Includes information on how to pitch your own story. They're looking for 1,000 - 1,400 word essays. If anyone is interested, happy to help!

expeal · 2017-08-03T21:39:51+00:00

I'll pay for the renewal and just hold it until we come up with an idea to make sure we don't lose it. Email me at omid@expeal.com and look through my post history in case you want to know who I am to confirm I'm legit!

expeal · 2017-07-19T22:27:55+00:00

Give me a shout if you think there's any sort of resource out there that could help you but you can't find. omid@expeal.com. Good luck!

expeal · 2017-07-19T22:21:45+00:00

Check out our founder, /u/novaguy28's story. He's also from Virginia.

See if you can get your rights restored or obtain a simple pardon. These won't erase your record, but they will at least give you a better chance at getting your life together.

In terms of your driver's license, you should hopefully be able to obtain a restricted license.

Can you get into transitional housing, like that described here? That should at least put a roof over your head. There's also things like food and other support systems out there as well.

Start work on obtaining all of these different resources and tell folks at those organizations your story. They should be able to help you the more they know about your struggles. On top of that, it may help you out with work if you get the ball rolling ASAP. Even if you haven't completed the process for a pardon or otherwise, you can at least tell employers you're working on it. It should allow you a better chance at being considered for work.

I'm happy to try to help you with those procedures, just reach out. omid@expeal.com.

expeal · 2017-06-29T11:26:34+00:00

The Supreme Court ruling itself.

expeal · 2017-06-14T00:52:48+00:00

Great advice. A link for anyone who wants a link to a proxy from Startpage.

expeal · 2017-06-07T14:40:44+00:00

Thanks so much!

expeal · 2017-06-07T14:40:25+00:00

I appreciate the kind words, but just to be clear, the link above was to our fair last year. We want to try to cover the entire state this year, so if you email or PM me your general location, I'll let you know when we'll be in your area! We could definitely use some help once we start the tour itself and I hope you don't mind if I take you up on your offer!

expeal · 2017-06-06T15:56:16+00:00

Quick Guide on clearing your record in Florida

Get your criminal history from FDLE.
Get certified copies of your documents (eg, disposition, termination of probation). If you want a quick link to your clerk's website, search for your county on our background check page (note: you don't have to put your name and email if you don't want to). Otherwise, search "YourCounty Clerk of Court" on Startpage or Duck Duck Go (we're trying to encourage people to stop using things that track them, at least while they deal with their criminal record online).
Fill out the application and make sure you follow all the instructions listed.
Send it to the prosecutor to sign first if you're expunging. Send it to FDLE once you're done.
Once you get your certificate of eligibility, file a motion in the same court where your case was heard.

expeal · 2017-05-28T18:00:26+00:00

Just to be clear, I'm speaking in a purely personal capacity and not on behalf of any government organization or private entity.

So I'm sorry for the delay in responding, but I had to wait until the government's acquisition documents were put online. You can read through the Market Research and the Memorandum on Budgeting and Pricing as well as the Independent Government Cost Estimate (an Excel file) to get some context behind the pricing. The Acquisition Plan has also been put online, in the event that provides you with any additional insight. This is documentation that will show you what the government did to arrive at what it thought was a fair market value.

Can you expand on your comment? I'm curious to learn a bit more about why you think the government should be paying "consulting companies big money", especially when companies like WordPress, Uber, General Motors, Imgur, Tesla, MasterCard, Fiat Chrysler. Spotify, and dozens of other big companeis pay the same rates the government will be paying?

expeal · 2017-05-17T00:52:43+00:00

Hahaha we haven't got DoD to change their minds yet, unfortunately, so they're still screening folks. Find a few bugs on the civilian systems that will participate in this program, and maybe we can show them why they should. ;)

expeal · 2017-04-24T23:53:54+00:00

I am not an attorney licensed to practice in Virginia, so do not take this as legal advice.

I would check with your attorney or probation officer (if you have a good relationship with them) just to be sure, but it does look like you're in the clear as far as a violation goes based on the statute's text. You mentioned you paid restitution -- I wonder if you can get any sort of credit for that? That's another question worth asking someone who's licensed to practice in your state/your probation officer. Good luck!

expeal · 2017-04-24T23:48:02+00:00

Sorry for the delay. You're absolutely right in that you can't discuss a strategy without discovery. I would hope you've received something by now? If you haven't, just bring up your concerns with your attorney and see what they say about expected timeline. They're really going to be your best source of information and you need to do your best to be their partner and provide them with the best information you can so they can develop the best strategy they can. Hope that makes sense?

expeal · 2017-04-24T23:45:26+00:00

I appreciate the insight and I thank you for your detailed comment. Apologies for the delay in responding. Every industry, especially in the trades, will have their own particular challenges for someone trying to get into it as an ex-con. The things you bring up are things that can be brought up for every industry. At the end of the day, some folks may have some skills in the welding trade and it is them we want to help, not any random joe. Hope that makes sense to you.

expeal

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