How Long Does A Domestic Violence Criminal Conviction Stay On My Record?

Domestic violence is a category of criminal offenses. While there is no crime called domestic violence, assaulting, threatening, harassing, and stalking someone you are involved in a domestic relationship all fall under the umbrella of domestic violence offenses when the victim is someone the defendant has dated, been married to, or otherwise falls under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act. If you are charged and convicted of any of those crimes, that conviction may stay on your record until you petition the court to remove it, that is, it is expunged. It can take many many years before you are eligible to expunge a criminal conviction for domestic violence. You should also know that expungement is not available to vacated a restraining order. An entirely separate process referred to as removal of a restraining order must be exhausted in order to achieve this relief.