An arrest, even where there is no conviction, can have devastating effects on a person’s life. For non-citizens, it can result in random detentions at immigration outposts and obstacles to obtaining citizenship. For those seeking employment, an arrest can be detected through background checks and can result in disqualification from certain jobs. A Petition for Factual Innocence pursuant to California Penal Code section 851.8 can get one’s arrest record sealed and destroyed. The standard is very high, however, as the Petitioner must prove that he/she was factually innocent; in other words, that the arrest was improper and that the person is innocent.
At Jayne Law Group, we handle these petitions on a regular basis. In fact, just today, Julia Jayne won a Petition for Factual Innocence involving a Domestic Violence arrest. The client’s life changed today – no more stops at immigration, employment opportunities, and a chance to put that awful part of his life behind him.
For more information on how to file such a Petition in the case of a wrongful arrest, or even when a charge was filed and then dismissed, contact Jayne Law Group, P.C..