How much does it cost to file a motion to have my criminal record sealed?
” $50. And you can file the paperwork yourself. Lawyers who claim you need to pay them thousands of dollars to apply for an expungement are ripping you off. “Where can I get the application form?” At the Public Defender’s Office on West Third Street. “Am I eligible to have my record sealed?” For most, the answer was No. The first few sessions weren’t packed, but as word spread, more people showed up. Soon, hundreds were filling the pews. Some stood in line for an hour or more just to speak to the judges for a moment, desperate to learn if they’d qualify, bursting into tears or simply muttering a quiet “Thank you” when they learned their records would follow them to the grave. The judges were moved. What they saw was an expungement law “so restrictive, that it excludes just about everybody who’s been in trouble,” Synenberg says. And that’s a lot of people — just under 40,000 are indicted in Cuyahoga County each year. All offenders, the judges point out, are not created equal, but under
