The client carried a 1991 Class 2 Felony Narcotic Drug conviction 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 2025, vacating the judgment and restoring civil and firearm rights on a conviction more than thirty years old.
At a glance
| Original conviction | Narcotic Drug Possess For Sale (ARS § 13-3408(A)(2)), Class 2 Felony, 1991 |
| Application filed | Application to Set Aside Judgment, ARS § 13-905, 2025 |
| Court | Maricopa County Superior Court |
| Result | Set Aside Granted. 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 | 104 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
A Class 2 Felony Narcotic Drug conviction is one of the most serious drug felonies Arizona codes carry. Even decades after sentence completion, the conviction sits on the record forever unless cleared through set aside. Employers screening on statewide criminal history searches stop reading after they see the felony tier. Occupational licensing boards under Title 32 treat narcotic-drug felonies as automatic disqualifiers. Federal firearm law strips firearm rights from every person convicted of any felony for life unless the judgment is set aside and rights are restored.
The client served the full sentence more than thirty years before the application. Probation completed. Fines paid. Every term satisfied. The conviction still followed the client into background checks, locking off opportunities long after the underlying conduct was history.
What we did
Future First filed an Application to Set Aside Judgment and Restore Civil and Firearm Rights under ARS § 13-905 in Maricopa County Superior Court. The application documented the decades of clean conduct since the original case closed, full sentence completion, full monetary compliance, and the absence of any pending criminal matter.
Decades-old conviction applications need to package the original court file carefully. Older case records can be archived offsite or partially digitized. Future First pulled and attached the underlying court docket, sentencing order, and proof of discharge. The brief tied each statutory factor under ARS § 13-905 to the long record of rehabilitation that followed.
The State responded without opposition. The judge signed the order setting aside the judgment, dismissing the accusation, and restoring civil and firearm rights. A thirty-year felony that no rehabilitation evidence could ever fully explain on a background check finally moved off the practical record.
What our clients say
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If you have an old narcotic drug felony in Arizona
A Class 2 Felony Narcotic Drug conviction is eligible for set aside under ARS § 13-905 once the applicant has finished probation, paid every fine and fee, and completed every other term of the original sentence. Higher-tier felonies face additional statutory scrutiny under the set aside framework but remain eligible.
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.
Decades-old felonies are not too old to clear. The statute does not impose an upper time limit. Older cases often benefit from a clean post-conviction record, and judges weigh that record heavily when deciding the application.
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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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