Redemption Law

In Washington State, courts often order convicts to participate in community custody. Known in other places as parole, community custody can impose a wide range of restrictions. People under community custody may not be able to drive or leave certain geographic...

DNA evidence has been instrumental in overturning wrongful convictions. Since the development of modern scientific tests, DNA has been used to exonerate hundreds of people who were previously convicted of various charges. Many of these individuals have been cleared...

When your name is on the sex offender registry, it can feel like you wear a label for all to see. Unfortunately, it can also impact most of your life, from employment opportunities and housing to social interactions. What if you could strike your name from this list...

If you have a criminal record, a certificate of restoration of opportunity (CROP) can help you overcome barriers to employment, housing and other opportunities. As a court-issued document, it serves as an official recognition that you have made significant progress in...

Unfortunately, a mistake you made as a minor that ended up on your juvenile court records may affect your ability to get a job, housing and benefits in the future. Luckily, Washington state allows residents to seal such records, making them unavailable to the public. ...

Once you have fulfilled the obligations of your conviction, you are ready to move on and get a fresh start. Part of that is restoring the civil rights you are legally entitled to as a United States citizen. Unfortunately, it may not be as straightforward as you might...

Everyone makes mistakes. Most of the time these do not have any great lasting consequences but sometimes they can have massive consequences such as when your mistake leads to an encounter with the police and perhaps the court system. Even if you were never actually...

Individuals who have had a brush with law enforcement in Washington can have public records related to that encounter. Those records can turn up whenever another party performs a criminal background check. Obviously, those convicted of an offense have a criminal...

Washington State has several options for people who have made mistakes in the past and are ready to move forward on a new path in life. Sealing juvenile records, expungement, sex offender registry removal and The New Hope Act all offer a degree of restored rights...

Everyone is susceptible to making mistakes, especially when they're young. The juvenile justice system recognizes this, aiming to rehabilitate youth who break the law. However, some juvenile records can linger into adulthood, creating significant obstacles for...