The client had a 2013 felony marijuana arrest that the State dismissed. The dismissed case still showed up on background checks. Future First secured a Maricopa Sealing Records Felony result and sealed every record under ARS § 13-911.
At a glance
| Original charges | Possession of Marijuana for Sale, Class 2 Felony, 2013 (dismissed) |
| Application filed | Seal records under ARS § 13-911, 2026 |
| Court | Maricopa County Superior Court |
| Result | Sealing record granted |
| Rights restored | N/A (charges were dismissed, no conviction) |
| Time from application to grant | 74 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
A dismissed case is not the same as a clean record. The client beat the charges in 2013. The State dismissed the felony case. But the arrest and the dismissed charges still lived in court databases and on background checks. A felony arrest record, even one that ended in dismissal, scares off employers and landlords who never read past the word felony.
Arizona law gives a remedy. ARS § 13-911 lets you seal the records of an arrest and charges, including dismissed charges. Once sealed, the record stops appearing and you can lawfully say in most situations that the arrest never happened. That is the clean break a Maricopa Sealing Records Felony order delivers.
What we did
Future First reviewed the full 2013 court file and confirmed the case was dismissed and eligible to seal. We filed the petition to seal under ARS § 13-911 in Maricopa County Superior Court, gave the prosecutor notice, and addressed each finding the court had to make, including eligibility and the public-safety interest.
The court granted the petition and ordered the arrest records, the charging documents, and all case records sealed, with copies sent to the Department of Public Safety and the prosecutor. The Maricopa Sealing Records Felony order came through 74 days after filing.
Choosing the right tool mattered here. When one record-clearing path did not fit the facts, Future First filed under ARS § 13-911 and won the seal. A Maricopa Sealing Records Felony petition succeeds when the filing matches the statute to the facts of the case.
What our clients say
Read verified reviews from people we have helped clear their records:
If you have an old charge in Arizona
Sealing under ARS § 13-911 reaches more than convictions. It reaches arrests and dismissed charges too. If you were arrested and the case was later dismissed, the record can still hurt you, and you can still seal it.
The waiting period and eligibility depend on how the case ended. Dismissed and acquitted cases often have shorter or no waiting periods. A conviction runs from completion of the sentence. The path is different for each outcome, so the filing has to fit the facts.
The court makes specific findings before it seals a record. A complete petition that documents the disposition and eligibility avoids delays and gives the judge what the statute requires.
Related resources
Call us
Want to clear your record in Arizona? Call Future First Criminal Law at 602-900-6240 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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