The client carried two 2009 Class 6 felony drug paraphernalia convictions that still showed up on background checks. Future First handled the Maricopa Sealing Records Drug Felony petitions and the court sealed both cases under ARS § 13-911.
At a glance
| Original convictions | Two counts of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (ARS § 13-3415), Class 6 Felony, 2009 (one amended down from a Class 4 felony charge) |
| Application filed | Sealing Records Applications (ARS § 13-911), 2025 |
| Court | Maricopa County Superior Court |
| Result | Both cases sealed |
| Rights restored | Civil rights previously restored by 2017 set asides |
| Time from application to grant | 127 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
The client carried two 2009 felony drug cases in the Maricopa County Superior Court, both ending in Class 6 felony convictions for possession of drug paraphernalia under ARS § 13-3415. One of the two started as a Class 4 felony charge and was reduced through a plea. Felony drug convictions create some of the hardest barriers to employment, housing, and licensing, even fifteen years later.
The client had already obtained set asides through prior counsel in 2017, which restored civil rights. A set aside is a real step, but the convictions still appeared in court records and on commercial background reports. Two felony entries on a record continue to screen a person out of jobs and apartments until the records are sealed.
What we did
Future First filed petitions to seal both cases under ARS § 13-911 in the Maricopa County Superior Court. Each Maricopa Sealing Records Drug Felony petition documented the client’s eligibility, the completed sentences, the time since the cases closed, and the 2017 set asides. The petitions asked the court to seal all records of the arrests, the charges, the convictions, and the sentences in both cases.
The court granted both petitions and sealed both cases on the same order. After sealing, the two felony drug cases no longer appear on standard background checks, and the client can lawfully state on most applications that they did not occur.
The client had previously secured the set asides through prior counsel in 2017. Future First handled the next step: the Maricopa Sealing Records Drug Felony petitions that closed both records to the public under ARS § 13-911.
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If you have an old conviction in Arizona
Arizona’s record sealing law, ARS § 13-911, lets people seal arrest, charge, conviction, and sentencing records once they meet the eligibility rules and the waiting period for the offense. For felonies the waiting period is longer than for misdemeanors and runs from the completion of the sentence. Older cases that finished well over a decade ago are often clearly past the waiting period.
A client with more than one old case can seal each one. Multiple petitions can be filed together and decided on the same order, as happened here. A prior set aside does not block a later sealing petition; the two forms of relief stack.
The court reviews the offense, the time since completion, and any later criminal history. A long clean record after the convictions strengthens every petition.
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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