How can a juvenile offender's criminal record be expunged?
In Washington, a juvenile offender’s criminal record can be expunged in a number of ways. The first option is through a process called “expunction,” which is a court process where a judge will order the removal of the records from the public record. To be eligible for expunction, the juvenile offender must meet certain criteria, such as the offense not being a violent or sexual offense, and the offender must be at least 18 years old and have fulfilled all court-ordered obligations related to the offense. In Washington, a second option for expunging a juvenile record is through the Juvenile Record Expungement Program (JREP). This program was established to help juveniles with certain low-level offenses to clear their criminal records. Eligibility requirements include the offender being at least 17 years old, the offense involving a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor, as well as having fulfilled all court-ordered obligations related to the offense. Finally, a juvenile record can be expunged through a process called Record Sealing. This process does not remove the record from public view, but instead restricts public access to the record. To be eligible for Record Sealing, the offender must have been 18 years old at the time of the offense, the offense must not have been a felony or a sex offense, and all court-ordered obligations must have been fulfilled. In Washington, these three options are available to help juveniles with criminal records expunge their records. By taking advantage of these opportunities, juvenile offenders can move on with their lives and look towards the future.
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