The client carried a Class 1 Misdemeanor Assault conviction out of Phoenix Municipal Court. Future First filed the Application to Seal Records under ARS § 13-911 and the court granted the application in 206 days, sealing the misdemeanor from public view and from background-check exposure.
At a glance
| Original conviction | Assault – Intentional, Knowing Physical Injury (ARS § 13-1203(A)(1)), Class 1 Misdemeanor |
| Application filed | Application to Seal Records, ARS § 13-911, 2024 |
| Court | Phoenix Municipal Court |
| Result | Sealing Record Granted. Conviction sealed from public view and from background-check exposure. |
| Rights restored | The applicant can lawfully deny the case in most non-law-enforcement contexts. Background checks that consume the sealed-records database no longer return the case. |
| Time from application to grant | 206 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
A Class 1 Misdemeanor Assault conviction follows the applicant on background checks the same way a felony does. Employers and landlords flag any assault-coded entry regardless of class level. The client had completed the sentence and lived clean for the years required under the sealing statute. The conviction record was still visible on every check.
Sealing under ARS § 13-911 is the statutory tool that closes public access to a completed Arizona case. The wait period for a Class 1 Misdemeanor is three years from judge-ordered non-financial completion. The client had cleared that mark.
What we did
Future First filed the Application to Seal Records under ARS § 13-911 in Phoenix Municipal Court. The application documented the statutory wait period from completion, full monetary compliance, the absence of new criminal matters during the wait, and the factors the court weighs under § 13-911. Phoenix Municipal Court handles its own sealing applications through the assigned criminal division.
Municipal sealing applications run on a different cadence than superior court applications. The court has to confirm completion records from the city’s own docket system, route the application through the assigned judge, and process the order through the city’s record-management workflow. The 206-day grant cycle reflects that workflow.
The judge signed the order. Sealing Record Granted on the Class 1 Misdemeanor Assault. The case file is sealed from public view. Background checks that consume the sealed-records database no longer return the case.
What our clients say
Read verified reviews from real Future First clients on our client reviews page or directly on Google.
If you have an Arizona misdemeanor on your record
ARS § 13-911 applies to misdemeanors and felonies. The wait periods differ by class. Class 1 Misdemeanor cases have a three-year wait from judge-ordered non-financial completion. Class 2 and Class 3 Misdemeanor cases have a two-year wait. The wait starts when the judge-ordered conditions are complete, not when the financial obligations finish.
Phoenix Municipal Court handles every Phoenix city-charged misdemeanor and traffic case. The court has its own sealing application workflow distinct from Maricopa County Superior Court. Other Arizona cities run their own municipal courts on similar lines.
Sealing under § 13-911 is the final stage of record cleanup. The case is closed to public view. Background-check vendors that consume the sealed-records database no longer return the case. The applicant can lawfully answer no in most non-law-enforcement contexts.
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.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Life’s better with a clean record