What else won an Expungement do?
Even after an expungement, a court can still use the prior conviction to enhance your sentence for a new crime (for example under California’s Three Strikes Law). If you are a registered sex offender, an expungement will not relieve you of your duty to register. Also, an expungement does not mean that the court file is erased, destroyed, or sealed. Rather the conviction is marked as “DISMISSED.” What actually happens is that your plea of guilty (or no contest) is withdrawn, a plea of NOT GUILTY is entered, and the charges are dismissed pursuant to Penal Code Section 1203.4 or 1203.4a.
