suhrelaw | February 28, 2017 | Criminal Law

An OWI conviction in Indiana can have many negative consequences on your life, above and beyond what will be required from you as part of your sentence. If your OWI conviction was an isolated incident and not a pattern of criminal conduct over a span of time, there are mechanisms available to “clean up” your record through an expungement of your conviction.

Most first-time OWIs are charged as either a Class A or Class C misdemeanor. If convicted of that OWI charge, the conviction will be entered and will be part of your criminal history. If your work or school opportunities are limited due to a prior OWI conviction, you may be eligible to have your record expunged.

One-time Expungement

Indiana courts now allow for a “one-time” expungement, where past convictions could be removed from your record. In order to qualify for an expungement of a criminal conviction, 1) five years must have passed from the time of your conviction or successfully petition the court to have the five year period reduced; 2) you must not have any pending criminal matters or suspensions of your driver’s license; 3) all parts of your sentence has been completed, including paying off fines, fees, and court costs; and 5) you have not had any criminal convictions in the five years prior to your expungement petition.

Level 6 Felony OWI Expungements

A Level 6 Felony OWI may be eligible for expungements, so long as you meet the qualifications listed above, with the biggest difference dealing with the amount of time that needs to pass from the time of your conviction. Instead of five years, a felony OWI conviction will require a wait period of eight years, instead of just five for a misdemeanor.

If you are having issues with work due to prior OWI convictions in Indiana, call Suhre & Associates, LLC to see if you qualify for an expungement of your prior OWI conviction.