The client carried a 1996 Class 5 Felony conviction for Attempt to Commit Misconduct Involving Weapons out of Maricopa County Superior Court. Future First filed an application to set aside the judgment under ARS § 13-905 and the court granted the application in 2026, vacating the judgment, restoring firearm rights under ARS § 13-910, and issuing a Certificate of Second Chance.
At a glance
| Original conviction | Attempt to Commit Misconduct Involving Weapons (ARS § 13-3102), Class 5 Felony, 1996 |
| Application filed | Application to Set Aside Judgment, ARS § 13-905, 2025 |
| Court | Maricopa County Superior Court |
| Result | Set Aside Granted with Certificate of Second Chance. Judgment vacated, accusation dismissed, civil and firearm rights restored. |
| Rights restored | Civil rights restored. Firearm rights restored under ARS § 13-910 in the same order. |
| Time from application to grant | 108 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
A Class 5 Felony weapons conviction in Arizona stays on the record long after the sentence ends. Employers running statewide criminal history checks stop reading at the word “felony.” Occupational licensing boards under Title 32 treat felony weapons convictions as automatic disqualifiers. Federal firearm law strips the right to possess a firearm from every person convicted of any felony, and a weapons-related felony triggers extra scrutiny on every background check.
The client completed the sentence decades ago. Probation discharged. Restitution paid in full. No new criminal matters in the years since. The conviction still surfaced on every background check, blocking employment, professional licensing, and the lawful right to possess a firearm.
What we did
Future First filed an Application to Set Aside Judgment under ARS § 13-905 in Maricopa County Superior Court. The application asked the court to vacate the judgment, dismiss the accusation, issue a Certificate of Second Chance, and restore firearm rights under ARS § 13-910. The supporting brief documented full sentence completion, full monetary compliance, a clean record for more than twenty-five years since the case closed, and a strong rehabilitation narrative.
For an older felony with a weapons component, the court weighs the nature of the offense alongside time elapsed and post-conviction conduct. Future First built the application around the client’s decades of law-abiding life and full compliance with every term the original court imposed.
The prosecutor filed a response to the application. The judge reviewed the filings, found that the client met every statutory requirement, and signed the order setting aside the judgment, dismissing the complaint, restoring civil rights, restoring the right to possess a firearm under ARS § 13-910, and granting a Certificate of Second Chance under ARS § 13-905(K). The order lifts the felony bar that was blocking the client’s path forward.
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If you have an old felony weapons conviction in Arizona
A Class 5 Felony Attempt to Commit Misconduct Involving Weapons conviction is eligible for set aside under ARS § 13-905 once the applicant has finished probation, paid every fine, fee, and restitution amount, and completed every other term of the sentence. Older felony cases often succeed where the applicant has built a clean post-conviction record. The judge weighs the nature of the offense, the time since completion, and the applicant’s conduct since the case closed.
ARS § 13-905 lets the judge vacate the judgment, dismiss the accusation, and release the applicant from the penalties and disabilities of the conviction. For a felony conviction, the same order can restore civil rights. Firearm rights restoration is paired through ARS § 13-910 and is typically requested in the same application packet. The court can also issue a Certificate of Second Chance under ARS § 13-905(K), which gives occupational licensing boards and employers additional statutory protections when they hire or license the applicant.
Set aside does not erase the conviction from the world. It vacates the judgment, allows the applicant to lawfully state on most applications that no conviction stands, and removes the federal firearm prohibition tied to the felony. Paired with a separate Application to Seal Records under ARS § 13-911, the result is a permanent cleanup of the public-facing record.
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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