The client carried a Class 1 Misdemeanor Criminal Damage case out of Phoenix Municipal Court. Future First filed an application to seal the records under ARS § 13-911 in 2024 and the court granted the sealing application in 2026 after a long pending period, sealing all records relating to the arrest and the case.
At a glance
| Original case | Criminal Damage (ARS § 13-1602), Class 1 Misdemeanor |
| Application filed | Application to Seal Criminal Case Records, ARS § 13-911, 2024 |
| Court | Phoenix Municipal Court |
| Result | Sealing Record Granted. All records relating to the arrest, the charging documents, and the case file sealed. |
| Rights restored | N/A (misdemeanor; no civil or firearm rights lost). Records sealed under ARS § 13-911. |
| Time from application to grant | 594 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
A Class 1 Misdemeanor Criminal Damage case in Arizona sits on a record forever unless cleared through sealing. Even years after sentence completion, background services that aggregate court records pick up the arrest, the case number, and the charge type. Employers, landlords, and licensing services see “Criminal Damage” and stop reading.
The client had completed every term of the sentence years before the application. The case still followed the client into every background check. The path forward required sealing the records under ARS § 13-911.
What we did
Future First filed an Application to Seal Criminal Case Records under ARS § 13-911 in Phoenix Municipal Court. The application packaged the underlying court file, proof of disposition, and the statutory factors the court weighs under § 13-911.
This application took longer than the typical sealing window. Some applications sit on a court calendar for months while supplemental briefing, State response review, and judicial scheduling work themselves out. Future First tracked the application from filing through grant, responded to court requests when raised, and kept the file moving forward.
The judge signed the order sealing all records relating to the arrest, the charging documents, and the case file. The Clerk of the Court sealed the records and transmitted the order to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The long wait did not change the result.
What our clients say
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If you have an old criminal damage case in Arizona
A Class 1 Misdemeanor Criminal Damage case is eligible for sealing under ARS § 13-911 once the applicant has completed every term of the disposition and the statutory waiting period has run. The wait for a misdemeanor conviction is shorter than for felony tiers. The application is filed in the court of conviction.
ARS § 13-911 lets the judge seal the arrest record, the charging documents, and the case file. The order does not erase the case from the world. It removes the case from public-facing background databases, employer screening services, and landlord checks.
Some applications move through the court quickly. Others sit for months. The wait does not change the legal standard or the result when the application is sound. The work is in building the application correctly and tracking the court calendar through to ruling.
Related resources
Call us
Want to clear your record in Arizona? Call Future First Criminal Law at 602-900-7625 or request a free consultation. We have handled hundreds of Arizona record removal applications across every statute path. The cleanup is permanent and the process moves faster when handled by a firm that knows the local court.
Anonymized in line with firm policy. Client name not used. Specific dates approximated to year only. Outcome described reflects this client’s actual results. Past outcomes do not guarantee future results. For more detailed information on Arizona record removal law, visit the Arizona State Legislature website.
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