Is there anyway to petition the courts to reopen and a juvenile case and reduce the charges?
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Is there anyway to petition the courts to reopen and a juvenile case and reduce the charges?
I want to join the military and I have a juvenile felony so I will not be looked at. I was wondering if there are any options to ask the courts to reopen and drop charges to a misdemeanor?
Asked on April 12, 2012 under Criminal Law, Illinois
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
One possibility is to consult with a criminal defense attorney to see if the juvenile felony conviction against you can be expunged. If expunged, the conviction for all intents and purposes no longer remains on your juvenile criminal record and you may then have a chance to join our military.
Not all petitions to expunge a pior criminal conviction are granted by the court. The court looks at what the crime was for, how long ago the conviction occurred, the reasons for the desired expungement and what the person has done since the conviction.
As to reducing the charges of the prior conviction to a lesser offense, that cannot be done once the plea and sentence have been carried out.
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