If you have been accused of a crime, Shaheen & Gordon, P.A. is here to fight for your legal rights. Contact us to schedule an appointment with a New Hampshire Criminal Defense lawyer. Initial consultations are completely free and confidential.
New Hampshire DWI Expungement Lawyer
Clearing Your DWI Record With Experienced Representation
Convictions for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in New Hampshire carry severe consequences, including long-term license losses, high fines, and jail sentences in subsequent and aggravated offense convictions. More and more, DWI convictions also result in the stigma attached to both a criminal record and a history of drug or alcohol abuse. Personal relationships, employment opportunities, and financial independence often suffer as a consequence of a criminal record. Our New Hampshire DWI lawyers can help you address those circumstances.
New Hampshire law permits petitions to annul and expunge the record of an arrest and a conviction under certain circumstances, including in DWI cases. At Shaheen & Gordon, P.A., our NH DWI lawyers take every legal step toward improving your future.
What is a DWI Annulment?
A DWI annulment can help you get your life back on track. Once a conviction is annulled, the law requires that the person be treated as if they were never arrested and convicted except under certain circumstances. New Hampshire law relating to annulments is changing. In 2013, the law changed such that annulled criminal convictions may remain on a record but have an entry on the record making clear that the conviction has been annulled. Undertaking the annulment process can help protect your personal and professional options moving forward. Successful annulment means legally stating that you have never been convicted of a crime on your job applications.
You must wait a period following conviction and completion of a sentence to annul a criminal offense. The period required to annul a criminal conviction for DWI is more extended than many other criminal offenses. A person convicted of DWI or Aggravated DWI must wait for ten years from the date of conviction before filing a petition to annul it.
If your annulment is approved, your DWI conviction will not be erased, but it will be marked on your record as annulled, and you must be treated as if you have never been convicted. An annulled DWI conviction may only be used against you in the future for sentencing in a new Aggravated DWI case. Educational, employment, and financial applications often request information regarding criminal convictions, and the way you answer these critical questions may depend on successful efforts to annul your criminal DWI conviction.
