Expungement Attorney in Alamogordo, New Mexico – Alamogordo Experienced Lawyers Expunging Your Record

If you have a criminal record, chances are that you have experienced the frustration of being refused certain employment, having had your rental application denied or been turned down by the school you hoped to attend. It is difficult for anyone with a criminal record, and especially someone with a felony conviction, to be fully reintegrated into society and to enjoy the same opportunities available to most everyone else.

An expungement provides a second chance for those individuals who have completed their probation and not served any state prison time. The expungement process can be difficult and exasperating in some cases and it may often take reasoned arguments by an experienced expungement lawyer along with supporting documentation to get you the relief you want. Our expert expungement attorneys have the real life experience you will need to have your conviction set aside and your records cleared or made inaccessible to the general public. Do it right the first time and you will save valuable time and money and have the satisfaction of once again having a chance for a brighter future.

There are other options available to you for post-conviction relief that an attorney from the Expungement Law Group can advise you on if applicable to your case including record sealing, early termination of probation, reduction of a felony to a misdemeanor, obtaining a Certificate of Rehabilitation and Governor’s Pardon along with expungement.

Expunging Your Conviction

Expungement in Alamogordo, New Mexico does not mean the destruction of your records since law enforcement and the courts will retain these records to be used under certain circumstances. It does, though, enable the court to reopen your case and dismiss your conviction provided certain conditions have been met. Our attorneys will retrieve your records containing your conviction, sentencing and release from probation dates before filing a 1203. 4 or 1203.4a Petition with the court where your plea or conviction was obtained. All applicable documents are filed and served on the court, district attorney and probation department. A hearing date is set. If there is no opposition, then no court appearance is generally required.

Some infraction, misdemeanor, felony offenses can be expunged including:

• Drug possession and other drug related crimes
• Marijuana possession
• Domestic violence
• Theft
• Burglary
• Robbery
• DUI, DWI, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Prostitution & Sex Crimes
• Indecent exposure
• Stolen property offenses, petty theft, shoplifting
• Assault, assault with a deadly weapon, battery
• And much more... Please call 1-888-754-9877 to find out if you qualify.

Post-Conviction Relief

There are a number of post-conviction options available to you that can enable you to have a second chance and enjoy the opportunities denied you because of your criminal record. These include the following:

• Misdemeanor Expungement

Infractions, misdemeanors and felonies can be expunged provided you only received probation and did not serve any state prison time. Also, your offense cannot have involved a sexual crime involving a minor. In some cases, even if you violated your probation, you may still be able to receive an expungement order. An expungement effectively dismisses your conviction and allows you to lawfully state under oath on most employment, rental housing and school applications that you have never been convicted of a crime.

• Felony Expungement

As indicated, a felony can be expunged so long as you did not serve any state prison time and you have completed all the terms and provisions of your probation. If you did serve time in state prison, your other option is a Certificate of Rehabilitation. You may have to wait at least 7 years before applying but you are automatically eligible for a Governor’s Pardon and it does allow you to now apply for state and vocational licenses for which you were previously prohibited.

• Early Probation Termination

Many probation periods are 3 or 5 years. Regardless of how long, though, after you have successfully served at least half of it, you may apply for early termination. An expungement lawyer from our office can prepare your request and obtain letters of support or evidence of rehabilitation along with a statement as to why you should be granted early termination. Once it is granted, we can begin the expungement process.

• Reducing Your Felony to a Misdemeanor

In many instances, a felony can be later reduced to a misdemeanor pursuant to Penal Code Section 17(B). This would include those offenses considered “wobblers” wherein the district attorney has the discretion to charge you with either a felony or misdemeanor. Reducing your conviction to a misdemeanor restores your right to possess and own firearms for example and can eliminate potential immigration problems. It can also ease and expedite the expungement process. An expungement attorney from our office can offer this service to you as part of our representation.

• Record Sealing

Another form of post-conviction relief pertains to sealing your arrest records or juvenile and drug diversion records. Arrest records may be sealed provided charges were either dismissed or you were never prosecuted. Under Alamogordo, New Mexico Penal Code Section 858.1, your arrest records may be sealed and not publicly accessible but only if a court determines that no reasonable cause exists to believe that you committed the offense for which you were charged. Prosecutors have discretion whether to charge you though there may be evidence that seemingly appears sufficient to link you to the crime. If a judge feels that there was probable or “reasonable” cause to believe you committed the crime regardless if you were charged, then your arrest records may not be sealed. An expungement attorney from the Expungement Law Group will review the facts of your arrest and advise you whether they meet the standard for sealing.

Juvenile records are often not available to the general public but it is worthwhile to have them sealed nonetheless to avoid any potential problems you may encounter as an adult. You must be at least 18 years old, or the juvenile court’s jurisdiction ended at least 5 years earlier, did not commit any crimes involving moral turpitude and have no pending criminal charges, and you present evidence of rehabilitation.

Drug diversion is available usually for first time offenders charged with possession. Once you successfully complete all terms and conditions in the diversion program, you can petition the court to have your arrest and other records sealed.

Contact Us to Get Started

An expungement lawyer from our office is available to discuss your case at no charge for an initial consultation. You can call us to discuss your case or schedule an appointment where we can determine which form of post-conviction relief may be available to you. Once you retain us, we will work quickly and diligently to get your documents filed and served and to get your life back on track towards a better future for you and your family.

About Alamogordo

Alamogordo /ˌæləməˈɡɔrdoʊ/ is the county seat and economic center of Otero County in south-central New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the ((chihuahuan desert)), it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains. It is the city nearest to Holloman Air Force Base. The population was 30,403 as of the 2010 census. Alamogordo is known for its connection with the Trinity test, the first explosion of a nuclear (atomic) bomb, and also for the Atari video game burial of 1983.

Humans have lived in the Alamogordo area for at least 11,000 years. The present settlement, established in 1898 to support the construction of the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad, is an early example of a planned community. The city was incorporated in 1912. Tourism became an important economic factor with the creation of White Sands National Monument in 1934. During the 1950-60s, Alamogordo was an unofficial center for research on pilot safety and the developing United States' space program.

Alamogordo is a charter city with a council-manager form of government. City government provides a large number of recreational and leisure facilities for its citizens, including a large park in the center of the city, many smaller parks scattered through the city, a golf course, Alameda Park Zoo, a network of walking paths, Alamogordo Public Library, and a senior citizens' center. Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center is a nonprofit shared military/civilian facility that is also the hospital for Holloman.

The city of Alamogordo was founded in June 1898, when the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad, headed by Charles Bishop Eddy, extended the railway to the town. Eddy influenced the design of the community, which included large wide thoroughfares and tree-lined irrigation canals. Charles Eddy's brother John Arthur Eddy named the new city Alamogordo ("large/fat cottonwood" in Spanish) after a grove of fat cottonwoods he remembered from the Pecos River area. When Alamogordo was laid out in 1898, the east-west streets were given numerical designations, while north-south streets were named after states. The present-day White Sands Boulevard was then called Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Tularosa Basin is a closed basin, that is, no water flows out of it. Because of this and because of the geology of the region, water in the basin is hard: it has very high total dissolved solids concentrations, in excess of 3,000 mg/L. The Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility, a Bureau of Reclamation laboratory doing research and development on desalination of brackish water, is located in Alamogordo. The gypsum crystals of White Sands National Monument are formed in Lake Lucero. Water drains from the mountains carrying dissolved gypsum and collects in Lake Lucero. After the water dries, the winds pick up the gypsum crystals and distribute them over the basin.

Alamogordo is the economic center of Otero County, with over half the Otero County population living within the city limits. Alamogordo today has very little manufacturing and has a primarily service and retail economy, driven by tourism, a large nearby military installation and a concentration of military retirees. In 2006 the per capita income in Otero County was $22,377 versus per capita income in New Mexico of $29,346.

Alamogordo was founded as a company town to support the building of the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad, a portion of the transcontinental railway that was being constructed in the late 19th century. Initially its main industry was timbering for railroad ties. The railroad founders were also eager to found a major town that would persist after the railroad was completed; they formed the Alamogordo Improvement Company to develop the area, making Alamogordo an early example of a planned community. The Alamogordo Improvement Company owned all the land, platted the streets, built the first houses and commercial buildings, donated land for a college, and placed a restrictive covenant on each deed prohibiting the manufacture, distribution, or sale of intoxicating liquor.

Otero County Fair is held annually in early August at the County Fairgrounds at the corner of White Sands Boulevard and Fairgrounds Road in Alamogordo. It features a rodeo, animal judging, food and game booths, and carnival rides. Nonprofit and government agencies set up information booths in the exhibit hall.