Further Expansion of Maryland Expungement Law

Maryland expungement law has become applicable to ever more situations. One of the newer situations is where the person is found guilty of the crime. I found information on the Maryland People's Law Library which is very helpful; below is a list of crimes which might be expunged even if you were found guilty. You will note that some of these crimes are felonies. You owe it to yourself to clean up your record if you can. If you can't do it on your own I can help you for a fairly nominal rate.

Guilty Verdict

If you were found guilty of one of these charges you may request an expungement no less than three (3) years after the guilty conviction or the satisfactory completion of the sentence, including probation, whichever is later:

• urination or defecation in a public place,
• panhandling or soliciting money,
• drinking an alcoholic beverage in a public place,
• obstructing the free passage of another in a public place or a public conveyance,
• sleeping on or in park structures, such as benches or doorways,
• loitering,
• vagrancy,
• riding a transit vehicle without paying the applicable fare or exhibiting proof of payment, or
• certain other transportation charges (Md. Code, Transportation § 7-705).

If you were found guilty of one of these charges you may request an expungement no less than ten (10) years after the guilty conviction or the satisfactory completion of the sentence, including probation, whichever is later:

• disorderly intoxication,
• possessing a controlled dangerous substance (CDS),
• use or possession of drug paraphernalia,
• unauthorized manufacturing, distributing, or dispensing of a CDS,
• breaking and entering a motor vehicle,
• general theft (Md. Code, Criminal Law § 7-104),
• littering and illegal dumping, or
• disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct.

If you were found guilty of one of these charges you may request an expungement no less than fifteen (15) years after the guilty conviction or the satisfactory completion of the sentence, including probation, whichever is later:

• assault in the second degree,
• violation of an interim peace order,
• failure to comply with a protective order,
• felony theft,
• possession with intent to distribute or dispense a controlled dangerous substance, or
• burglary in the first, second or third degree.