It has been 6 years since I pled guilty to theft in the 2nd degree. I couldn’t pay fines and restitution so it went to collections. If I pay it off, do I have to wait another 5 years to seal my record?
For a felony conviction, you will actually have to wait 5 years (with no new criminal offenses) from the time an “order of discharge” is entered in your case. The order of discharge will not get entered until you pay off all legal financial obligations (LFOs), which include fines and restitution. After the 5 years passes, you can petition the court to vacate your criminal conviction.
While you may technically be eligible to ask the court to seal your record right now, I can say to nearly 100 percent certainty that a motion to seal the record in these circumstances will be denied.
