Criminal Expungement

To be found not guilty of a crime by a jury or judicial officer after a trial.

When a child is tried as an adult for an offense they have been charged with. When this happens, the juvenile court’s jurisdiction over the case ends, and the case is transferred to adult criminal court.

An agreement between the prosecutor and the defendant or juvenile to not move forward with prosecution of a case for a set amount of time. If the defendant or juvenile follows the terms of the agreement and does not get any new charges within the agreed-upon time, then the case will be dismissed.

The formal status of guilt entered into the court record in adult criminal or petty misdemeanor cases. A conviction can only happen after a defendant either enters a guilty plea or is found guilty by a jury or judicial officer at trial.

An act not allowed by law that may be punished by imprisonment. Crimes can also be punished with a fine. An offense that can only be punished by a fine, with no option for imprisonment, is not a crime in Minnesota.

A person charged with a crime or petty misdemeanor offense. The word defendant is not used for a juvenile charged with an offense in a juvenile case.

A program that may be an option for certain defendants or juveniles - (for example, those with no prior criminal or adjudication history, who are not charged with a violent offense). Diversion usually includes programming such as job training or education which, if successfully completed, will lead to dismissal of the case.

A serious crime which can be punished by prison time (incarceration) for a period of one year or more. Punishment for felony crimes can include fines. The amount of possible prison time and the fine vary depending on the crime.

A crime that can be punished by jail time (incarceration) of up to 364 days and/or a fine up to $3,000.

An agency at the state, county, or city level that enforces laws, makes arrests, and investigates crimes.

A crime that can be punished by jail time (incarceration) of up to 90 days and/or a fine up to $1,000.

A response by an agency (for example, the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, County Attorney’s Office, City Attorney’s Office, etc.) to a person’s expungement petition or proposed order. Objections may be done by sending a letter to the court (with a copy sent to the person seeking expungement) or they can be raised at the court hearing.

When the Board of Pardons votes to set aside a conviction for a crime, and remove the conviction from the person's criminal record. The MN Board of Pardons is made up of the MN Governor, Attorney General, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

An act that can be punished by a fine of not more than $300 that is not considered to be a crime.

A penalty as part of a criminal or juvenile delinquency sentence where the defendant or juvenile offender is ordered to follow certain conditions. Conditions are often ordered to prevent future criminal or delinquency behavior. Probation may be supervised or unsupervised.

An attorney working on behalf of the government who can file charges against people and try to prove that a defendant or juvenile committed an offense.

Occurs following a guilty plea when the court withholds entering a conviction or adjudication if the defendant or juvenile follows certain conditions (for example, probation, community service, fines, treatment, restitution, etc.). If the defendant or juvenile successfully completes these conditions, the case is dismissed.

Occurs following a guilty plea to a particular level of offense. If the defendant agrees to follow certain conditions (for example, probation, community service, fines, treatment, restitution, etc.) and successfully completes the conditions, the conviction is dropped to a lower level (for example, from a Gross Misdemeanor to a Misdemeanor).