Criminal Defense & DUI · DuPage County, Illinois
Focused defense for DUI and criminal matters across DuPage County, with your record and your future treated as the priority.
Illinois expungement and sealing laws have expanded significantly over the past decade. Records that were permanent ten years ago can now often be cleared. The challenge is figuring out exactly what you’re eligible for, where to file, and what evidence the court requires.
We’ve handled expungement and sealing cases across DuPage County for years. Most clients are surprised to learn they qualify for clearance they didn’t know existed. Others learn realistically what isn’t yet eligible. Either way, a free eligibility check is the right first step.
Different mechanisms apply to different records. We identify the right one for your situation.
Physically destroys the record — court file, arrest record, fingerprints. The strongest form of clearance.
Keeps the record but hides it from public/employer background checks. Law enforcement and certain employers can still see.
Special automatic and petition-based expungement for cannabis offenses under Illinois cannabis legalization.
Governor’s pardon — required for records not otherwise expungeable. Rare but available for serious cases.
Successful supervision completion typically qualifies for expungement after waiting period. Most common scenario.
When you were arrested due to someone else using your identity — different process, faster relief.
We obtain your full Illinois State Police and FBI rap sheets to identify everything eligible.
We analyze each charge against current statute — what’s expungeable, what’s sealable, what’s not yet.
We file petitions in each court of conviction. Filing fees and service to state’s attorney required.
Most petitions decided without hearing. State’s attorney can object — we respond if needed. Court order then sent to all agencies.
Statutes are detailed and changing. We catch eligibility many self-petitioners miss.
Forms must be specific. Defective petitions get denied without prejudice — but you’ve still paid filing fees.
Records across multiple Illinois counties require petitions in each. We handle the coordination.
When the state’s attorney objects, response strategy matters. We’ve responded to objections successfully many times.
Court order is step one. Distribution to police, ISP, FBI requires follow-through. We do it.
Most expungement cases are flat fee per charge — predictable cost for predictable benefit.
From our Villa Park office, we represent clients across DuPage County and the western suburbs of Chicago.
A DUI conviction cannot be expunged. However, court supervision on a first DUI is not a conviction and can be expunged after waiting period (typically 5 years from completion). The supervision-vs-conviction distinction is why first-DUI strategy matters.
Depends on case type. Cases that ended in dismissal, acquittal, or no charges filed: immediate. Court supervision: 2 years after successful completion (longer for some offenses). Sealing has additional waiting periods varying by offense.
Expungement physically destroys the record. Sealing keeps it but hides it from public background checks — though law enforcement and certain employers (childcare, school employees, healthcare workers) can still see sealed records.
Most felony convictions cannot be expunged. Some can be sealed under specific provisions. Class 4 felony convictions for certain offenses are sealable after 3 years. Felonies dismissed or resulting in acquittal can be expunged.
Court filing fees vary by county and case (typically $60-180 per case). Our attorney fees for expungement are flat-fee — typically less than employment opportunities being missed due to the record. We quote at consultation.
From petition filing to court order: typically 2-4 months. From order to record actually being cleared in police databases: another 2-4 months. Total 4-8 months in most cases.
Most people are surprised at what they qualify for. A free eligibility check tells you what can be cleared and what the realistic timeline looks like.