New Edition of Online Relief Guide

At long last I have completed the 2015 edition of my online guide to relief from a criminal conviction. This free guide, available here on the School of Government’s website, covers the various forms of relief available under North Carolina law, including expunctions, certificates of relief, and other procedures. It includes changes made by the General Assembly through the end of its 2015 legislative session. This edition of the guide is longer, reflecting the greater attention that the General Assembly has given this area of law in recent years. The opportunities for relief are greater as well, but a petitioner still must meet precise statutory criteria to succeed. See generally 2014 Expunctions Report [NCAOC and DOJ Joint Report Pursuant to G.S. § 15A-160] (Sept. 1, 2014) (providing data on expunctions from 2008 to 2014; in fiscal year 2013–14, courts granted approximately 13,000 expunctions of dismissals but approximately 700 expunctions of convictions and other matters). The guide is intended to help judges, lawyers, and others navigate this surprisingly complex area of law. Like the previous edition, the guide includes a brief explanation of each type of relief along with a table identifying the requirements for each. Another feature of the guide, thanks to the School’s new website, is that it automatically adjusts to the screen of your electronic device, including mobile phones, eliminating the need to resize the screen to view the information you want. Live links to statutes, forms, and other resources appear throughout the guide. The guide addresses many of [...]