Minnesota Stay of Adjudication (Explained)

**** NEWS FLASH ****


If you've been charged with an offense - there's no guarantee you'll actually be convicted of it.  Additionally, you may even plead guilty - and not have the offense go on your record.  


Seriously, a Minnesota Stay of Adjudication for a felony (or misdemeanor) level offense can entirely avoid a conviction --- provided you successfully complete probation. How do you get this "deal"? The first place to start is by consulting with an experienced Minnesota Criminal Defense Attorney.  


What?


With a Stay of Adjudication: You do plead guilty to an offense. However, the Judge does not "accept" your guilty plea.  Rather, you get a Sentence of a "Stay of Adjudication." 


What this means is that a conviction for an offense is not entered on your criminal record, provided you successfully complete probation. Once you do, he charges are dismissed, and your criminal record is clear of any convictions. However, arrest records will still show that you were arrested. In order to get rid of these arrest records, you will need to pursue an expungement of your record.


Or put another way: Adjudication of your guilt will be "stayed," meaning that you will not be found guilty. However, you will still be placed on probation. Additionally, the Court may still impose probationary conditions that include local jail time, fines, community service, electronic home monitoring, or any other conditions the Court deems appropriate.

Now What?



If you are charged with any offense, and do not want to take the risk of going to trial, a stay of adjudication is the best way to avoid any conviction at all. Ideally, your Minnesota Criminal Defense Attorney will aggressively negotiate with the prosecutor in order to get you a stay of adjudication. With the right lawyer, you may be able to receive a sentence that will not impact you as severely throughout the rest of your life. 


If you've been charged with any criminal, contact The Rolloff Law Office today to discuss your case and the options available to you. Call (612) 234-1165.

Minnesota Expungements - Clean Your Record (Explained)

If you have been arrested, charged,  or convicted of a crime, then you understand the negative impact a criminal record can have on your life.  In Minnesota, all of this criminal history data, including arrests without a conviction, are public information.  Many employers, landlords, financial institutes and schools perform criminal background checks on all applicants which means your past will continue to haunt you in the future. You may have trouble finding decent employment, finding a place to live, obtaining a loan or even getting into a school. Expungement can put an end to these constant problems.

If you want help, contact a Minnesota Criminal Defense Attorney - today.  If you think you want to go it alone - here are some helpful suggestions:

Learn What is On Your Record

The first thing to do is find out what information exists.  In Minnesota, the Court and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) each maintain a public criminal history database.  Searching these websites is free and easy.  This is a big part of the problem, but it is helpful when trying to find out what information is available to interested parties.

Minnesota’s district court’s database is located here.

BCA’s criminal history database can be found here.

Expungement Rules and Regulations

The rules of expungement are not set in stone because of some inconsistent findings between the Minnesota Supreme Court and the Minnesota Court of Appeals.  However, every expungement case is assessed on an individual basis but, in general, the following factors will determine your ability to have your conviction erased.

Amount of time since the offense.  As a general rule of thumb, wait at least two years to petition to expunge a misdemeanor conviction and longer for a felony.

Rehabilitation measures taken. In general, if you have displayed good public behavior since the arrest, avoiding any additional arrests, participating in counseling, anger management and/or rehabilitation as requested by the judge, then you will have a better chance of having your conviction taken off the record.

Case resolved in your favor.  If you were found not guilty or the case was dismissed by the judge or the prosecutor or you entered into a pre-trial diversion program (without entering a plea of guilt) you will have a much easier time expunging the record.  If the case was not resolved in your favor, the expungement request must be requested under the court’s inherent authority, which is a tougher process.

Drug offenses.  Certain drug offenses may be expunged pursuant to statute which makes the process easier.

Seriousness of the crime. Certain convictions can never be sealed, such as sexual assault and other offenses requiring post conviction registration.

The Rolloff Law Office can help you or someone you love with an expungement of a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor or felony conviction.  Contact me today at (612) 234-1165 to set up a FREE consultation.