The client faced a Class 3 Misdemeanor Criminal Speeding charge out of South Mountain Justice Court. Future First negotiated the original criminal charge down to a civil traffic violation, then filed the Application to Seal Records under ARS § 13-911. The court granted the application in 14 days, sealing the underlying criminal case file from public view.
At a glance
| Original charge | Exceed Posted Speed Greater Than 20 MPH (ARS § 28-701.02(A)(3)), Class 3 Misdemeanor |
| Application filed | Application to Seal Records, ARS § 13-911, 2026 |
| Court | South Mountain Justice Court |
| Result | Sealing Record Granted. The criminal case file is sealed from public view and from background-check exposure. |
| Rights restored | The applicant can lawfully deny the criminal case in most non-law-enforcement contexts. Background-check vendors that consume the sealed-records database no longer return the case. |
| Time from application to grant | 14 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
Criminal Speeding under ARS § 28-701.02 is one of the few Arizona traffic offenses that loads onto a person’s criminal record as a Class 3 Misdemeanor. A speed citation written above the statutory threshold turns a ticket into a criminal case. Employers running background checks see a misdemeanor entry, not a traffic infraction. Landlords, licensing boards, and immigration filings treat the entry the same way.
The client wanted the record cleared. Future First built the case in two stages. Stage one was the underlying defense work that drove the criminal charge down to a civil traffic violation. Stage two was the sealing application that closed public access to the criminal case file under ARS § 13-911.
What we did
Future First defended the case through nine months of pretrial conferences in South Mountain Justice Court. The firm filed a motion to continue, requested discovery, and pushed the case through repeated pretrial settings. At the change of plea, the prosecutor agreed to amend the Class 3 Misdemeanor Criminal Speeding charge down to a civil Speed Reasonable and Prudent citation under ARS § 28-701(A). The judge accepted the plea and entered judgment.
The client completed every term of the disposition, including the fine and surcharges. Once the financials cleared, Future First filed the Application to Seal Records under ARS § 13-911 in South Mountain Justice Court. The application documented the statutory eligibility, the amendment to a civil citation, full monetary compliance, and the public-safety factors the court weighs under the statute.
The judge signed the order 14 days after filing. Sealing Record Granted. The criminal case file is sealed from public view. Background-check vendors that consume the sealed-records database no longer return the case.
What our clients say
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If you have an Arizona Criminal Speeding charge on your record
ARS § 28-701.02 makes speeds over the statutory threshold a Class 3 Misdemeanor. The charge sits on a criminal record the same way a shoplifting or disorderly conduct case does. Employers do not draw the distinction between a Class 3 Misdemeanor traffic case and a Class 3 Misdemeanor non-traffic case. The entry looks the same on the report.
Two paths cleanly close the record. Path one is amendment to a civil citation at disposition, which keeps the criminal charge off the conviction record going forward. Path two is sealing under ARS § 13-911, which closes public access to the underlying case file. Path two works regardless of how the case resolved, including dismissals, civil amendments, and straight convictions. The wait period for a Class 3 Misdemeanor under § 13-911 is two years from judge-ordered non-financial completion. Cases that finish as civil citations carry a shorter functional wait because most of the criminal-side completion conditions never apply.
South Mountain Justice Court handles its own sealing applications through the assigned judicial officer. Other Maricopa County justice courts run similar workflows. The grant timeline varies by court calendar and the completeness of the application.
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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