The client faced two criminal traffic charges after a 2025 East Valley stop. Reckless Driving and Excessive Speed. The case resolved with no criminal conviction. The speeding count dropped to a civil traffic violation and the reckless driving count was dismissed. Even so, the arrest and the filed charges stayed on record. This San Marcos Sealing Records case shows how Future First closed that gap and sealed the record for good.
At a glance
| Original charges | Reckless Driving (ARS § 28-693(A)), Class 2 Misdemeanor, and Excessive Speed (ARS § 28-701.02(A)(2)), Class 3 Misdemeanor |
| How the case resolved | No criminal conviction. Speeding amended to a civil traffic violation, reckless driving dismissed. |
| Application filed | Records sealing under ARS § 13-911, 2026 |
| Court | San Marcos Justice Court |
| Result | Criminal case records sealed |
| Rights restored | Not applicable, no civil rights were lost |
| Time from application to grant | 102 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
A dismissed charge does not erase the record. The arrest still exists. The filed charges still exist. Background checks pull all of it. Employers see an arrest for reckless driving and a criminal traffic filing, even when no conviction ever happened. Landlords see the same thing. Licensing boards see it too. The record does not explain the outcome. It only shows the charge.
The client wanted the record gone. An open criminal traffic record blocks jobs, housing, and professional licenses. It follows a person for years. A San Marcos Sealing Records order under ARS § 13-911 was the path to close it. Without that order, the arrest and charging records would keep showing up long after the case ended.
What we did
Future First built and filed the ARS § 13-911 petition to seal the full criminal case record. We laid out the resolution for the court. No conviction. Speeding amended to a civil violation. Reckless driving dismissed. The client met the statute and qualified for sealing.
The court granted the first order, but that order was incomplete. It missed the arrest records and the charging records. A partial seal leaves the worst part exposed. So Future First pushed for an amended order. We asked the court to seal the arrest records held by the Department of Public Safety, the charging records held by the prosecutor, and the full court file.
The court granted the amended order. This San Marcos Sealing Records result sealed every layer of the record, from the arrest through the charging documents to the court file itself. The record is now closed to public view.
What our clients say
See our reviews on Google and our client reviews page.
If you have an old criminal traffic case in Arizona
ARS § 13-911 lets many people seal a criminal case record in Arizona. Sealing covers the arrest, the charges, and the court file. Once sealed, you can lawfully state that the arrest and charges did not occur in most situations. A San Marcos Sealing Records petition works the same way in that court as it does across the state.
Eligibility depends on the offense, the outcome, and any waiting period tied to the charge class. A dismissed case or a case that ended in a civil traffic violation still leaves an arrest record. That record does not clear on its own. You have to petition for it. Timing matters, and the class of the original charge sets the wait.
Expect the process to take time. This case ran 102 days from filing to grant, and it needed an amended order to reach every record. A clean petition and a firm that follows through on every layer of the record make the difference between a partial seal and a full one.
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.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Life’s better with a clean record