Minnesota Expungement Lawyer: Bloomington & Statewide

Expungement Lawyer Serving Bloomington and All of Minnesota

Charles Segal is a Minnesota expungement lawyer who seals old criminal records so they stop surfacing on the background checks that decide a job, an apartment, or a professional license. An arrest, a dismissed charge, a stay of adjudication, or certain convictions can keep costing you years after a case ends. With over 30 years in Minnesota criminal courts, he reviews your record, explains whether Minn. Stat. § 609A fits, and handles the petition and hearing in Bloomington and statewide.

The charge ended years ago. The record did not. Expungement is how you close that gap so an old case stops answering questions for you before you ever walk in the room.

Here is the part people get wrong: a case that was dismissed, or that never led to a conviction, still shows up. The arrest and the court file stay public until a judge orders them sealed. That is why clearing the record is a separate legal step, not something that happens on its own when a case closes.

Whether sealing is the right move, and whether you qualify, depends on your specific record and what you are trying to accomplish. Possibly yes, possibly not. Contact Charles to find out whether an expungement petition makes sense in your situation.

What Crimes Can Be Expunged in Minnesota?

Minnesota's expungement statute, Minn. Stat. § 609A, sets out which records a judge can seal. Eligibility depends on how your case ended far more than on what you were originally charged with. In general, the records courts most often seal fall into these categories:

• • Arrests with no charge or a dismissal: if you were arrested but never charged, or the charge was dismissed or you were acquitted, the record is often eligible to be sealed.
• • Stays of adjudication and diversion: cases resolved without a formal conviction, where you completed the terms the court set, are frequently among the more straightforward petitions.
• • Petty misdemeanors and misdemeanors: many lower-level convictions can be sealed after the waiting period runs and you stay out of further trouble.
• • Gross misdemeanors and some felonies: a defined list of these convictions is eligible, with longer waiting periods. Serious offenses, including certain violent and sex crimes, are excluded.

The outcome of your case does the heavy lifting here. A drug case that was dismissed or resolved without a conviction is treated very differently from one that ended in a felony on your record. That is why the first thing Charles does is read the actual disposition, not the original charge.

Minnesota Expungement Waiting Periods by Offense Level

For most convictions, Minnesota makes you wait a set period after you finish your sentence, including any probation, before you can petition to seal the record. The wait climbs with the seriousness of the offense. These are the general waiting periods under the statute:

• • Petty misdemeanors and misdemeanors: generally about two years crime-free after the sentence, including probation, is complete.
• • Gross misdemeanors: generally about four years crime-free after completing the sentence.
• • Eligible felonies: generally about five years crime-free after the sentence is finished, for the limited list of felonies the statute allows.

Dismissals, acquittals, and many stays of adjudication do not carry the same waiting periods, which is one reason those records are often the first candidates to seal. If you are not sure where your case lands, call (612) 299-1110 and Charles will tell you which clock applies to you.

How to Expunge a Criminal Record in Minnesota

Expungement is a petition, a hearing, and a judge's order. It is not automatic, and the paperwork has to go to every agency that holds your record or the sealing can come back incomplete. Here is how the process generally runs:

1. Pull and review the record. We confirm the exact charges, the disposition, and the dates, because eligibility and the waiting period both turn on those specifics.
2. Prepare and file the petition. The petition identifies the records to be sealed and the legal basis under Minn. Stat. § 609A, and it is filed in the county where the case was handled.
3. Serve the agencies. The petition is served on the prosecutor and on every agency that holds the record, such as the BCA and local law enforcement. Miss one and that copy stays public.
4. Attend the hearing. A judge weighs the benefit to you against any public-safety concern the state raises. This hearing is typically set around 60 days after filing.
5. Get the order entered. If the judge grants it, the signed order goes to each agency so the record is sealed across the system, not just in one file.

The step that quietly sinks do-it-yourself petitions is service. A record lives in several places, and an order that only reaches the court file leaves copies readable at agencies that were never served. Charles handles the full service list so the sealing is complete.

A granted petition that was served on only half the agencies is a record that is still half public. The value is in doing the whole list, every time.

As for cost, every expungement is different, which is why Charles does not quote a flat number sight unseen. The work depends on how many records are involved, which county they are in, and whether the prosecutor objects. He will walk you through what your petition actually involves during the consultation.

When expungement may not be the right call yet

Being honest about this matters. If your waiting period has not run, or you picked up a new charge that reset the clock, filing now usually just means a denial and a wasted filing fee. If the only record you are worried about is an arrest that never led to a charge, there may be a simpler path than a full convictions petition. And some records, by statute, cannot be sealed at all. Possibly your situation is ready, possibly it is not. The point of the first call is to find that out before you spend anything.

Expungement Across Minnesota, Not Just the Metro

Your record sits in the county where your case was handled, so the petition has to be filed and argued there. Charles Segal appears in district courts across the state for expungement, from Hennepin and Ramsey in the Twin Cities to counties well outside the metro. You do not have to live near Bloomington for him to seal a record that sits in a courthouse elsewhere in Minnesota.

After a conviction or dismissal, clearing your record is often the last step to actually moving on. If your case touched a criminal matter of any kind, it may be eligible, and it is worth having someone who has spent three decades in these courts read the file first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does expungement remove a criminal record completely in Minnesota?

Not exactly. A Minnesota expungement under Minn. Stat. § 609A seals the record rather than destroying it. Sealed records are removed from public view, so they generally do not show up on routine background checks run by employers and landlords. Certain agencies, including law enforcement and some licensing boards, can still access a sealed record in specific situations. Whether sealing is enough for your goal depends on your record and why you want it cleared. Contact Charles to find out whether an expungement petition makes sense in your situation.

Can a felony be expunged in Minnesota?

Sometimes. Minnesota law allows certain felony convictions to be expunged after the required waiting period, but the list is limited and more serious offenses are excluded. Arrests, dismissals, and stays of adjudication are often easier to seal than felony convictions. Because eligibility turns on the exact statute you were convicted under and the outcome of your case, this is worth reviewing with an attorney. Charles Segal can tell you whether your particular felony falls within what the statute allows.

How long does expungement take in Minnesota?

Most expungement petitions move through the court over several months, not weeks. After the petition is filed and served, the court sets a hearing that is typically scheduled roughly 60 days out, and agencies and prosecutors are given time to object. Timelines vary by county and by how busy the court is, so a case in Hennepin County can run on a different clock than one in a rural county. Charles handles that scheduling and the paperwork so nothing gets missed.

Which courts does Segal Defense handle expungement cases in?

Charles Segal files and argues expungement petitions in district courts throughout Minnesota, not only in Bloomington, Minneapolis, and the rest of the Twin Cities metro. If your record is in a county court anywhere in the state, he can help. Our main office is at 3800 American Blvd. in Bloomington, with additional locations in Edina, Minnetonka, St Louis Park, and Woodbury.

Contact A Minnesota Expungement Lawyer

An old record should not keep deciding your future. If you want to find out whether a case on your record can be sealed, Charles Segal will read the file and tell you plainly where you stand. To learn more about your rights and options, call Segal Defense, P.A. at (612) 299-1110 to request a free consultation.