The client carried a dismissed Class 1 Misdemeanor criminal damage record out of Scottsdale City Court. Future First filed a Scottsdale Sealing Records Criminal Damage application under ARS § 13-911 and the court sealed the record 70 days later.
At a glance
| Original conviction | Criminal Damage Deface (ARS § 13-1602(A)(1)), Class 1 Misdemeanor, dismissed in 2025 after diversion |
| Application filed | Petition To Seal Criminal Case Records (ARS § 13-911), 2025 |
| Court | Scottsdale City Court |
| Result | Sealing Record Granted |
| Rights restored | N/A (misdemeanor, non-DV) |
| Time from application to grant | 70 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
The client picked up a Class 1 Misdemeanor criminal damage charge in Scottsdale after a 2025 incident. Even after Future First moved the case to diversion and the prosecutor dismissed the charge, the arrest and the filing stayed visible on background checks. A dismissed misdemeanor still appears in court records and on private aggregators. Employers, landlords, and licensing boards see the case before they see the dismissal.
For a young client building a career, that visible record was a brake on every job application and lease. The legal answer is ARS § 13-911, the Arizona statute that lets a court seal the entire case file, the arrest record, and the prosecutor’s charging documents. The client wanted that record gone, not just disposed.
What we did
Future First built and filed the Petition To Seal Criminal Case Records in Scottsdale City Court under ARS § 13-911. The application paired the statutory checklist with a mitigation letter that put the dismissal, the completed diversion, and the clean post-case conduct in front of the judge in a single document.
The firm timed the filing for the dismissal-based eligibility path. Under ARS § 13-911, a dismissal triggers immediate eligibility once the prosecutor and any victim have notice and the court has the DPS report. Future First handled the notice procedure, attached the charge and receipt summary as proof of completed monetary obligations, and asked for a hearing only if the court was leaning toward denial.
The court granted the application 70 days after filing. The arrest record, the charging documents, and every court record tied to case CR-2025003862 are now sealed.
What our clients say
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If you have an old conviction in Arizona
ARS § 13-911 lets you seal arrest records, charging documents, and court records for most Arizona criminal cases. Dismissals and not-guilty verdicts unlock immediate eligibility. Convictions carry a waiting period that runs from the day you finish every non-financial term of your sentence. Class 3 Misdemeanors wait 2 years. Class 1 Misdemeanors wait 3 years. Felonies wait 5 to 10 years depending on class.
Sealing is not automatic. You file the application in the court that handled your case. The prosecutor and any victim get notice. DPS runs a report. The judge weighs your eligibility, your conduct since the case, and whether sealing serves the public interest. A clean application with strong mitigation is the fastest path to a yes.
Future First files sealing applications across every Arizona court. We pull your case file, confirm eligibility, draft the application, attach the mitigation, and follow up with the court until the order is signed.
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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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