Kansas Expungements - Criminal Record

It's a new year which is a time to start fresh.  A criminal record is something that can haunt you for the rest of your life. It can interfere with housing applications, employment, gun rights, and your general reputation.  Kansas is one of a few states with very generous expungement rules allowing you to expunge almost any misdemeanor and also expunge a wide range of felonies. 

If you're curious about your criminal record or want to know your criminal history, you can make a request from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, or if you know the specific court where your convictions occurred, you may be able to request those record directly from the clerk. 

Do I need a lawyer?

When you're trying to get a criminal record expunged, you want it done right and done as quickly as possible.  An experienced expungement attorney is the most secure and reliable way to make sure it's done quickly and done the right way. It also can prevent missteps that delay your expungement and can avoid issues that might prevent your expungement from being granted.  If you don't reside in Kansas it can also help you complete your expungement without having to come back to the state.

Do I need to come back to Kansas for my expungement?

No, you do not need to return to Kansas to expunge your Kansas criminal records.  Your attorney can file the required paperwork, obtain your signature on the appropriate materials, and file everything without you being present.  That being said, sometimes the Court or the prosecuting attorney for the state will ask that a hearing be held on your expungement request.  An experienced attorney will work hard to avoid this if at all possible. This hassle can add significant cost, travel expense, and missed work to complete your expungement.  If a hearing is requested then you will be required to appear before the court to support your expungement request.   This is a time when having an expungement attorney in your corner will really benefit you.

What does this cost?

There is a fee to file your expungement in most courts. In Kansas District Courts the fee as of this writing is $195.00.  Often that cost is rolled into your costs for hiring an attorney.  Many attorneys can cost thousands of dollars for the service of a criminal record expungement.  That's too much.  It's best to shop around. Find an experienced Kansas expungement attorney that can service your expungement for a flat fee.  Find someone who serves all 105 Kansas Counties who can clear your Kansas criminal record quickly and efficiently. 

I-70 Drug Charges, Riley and Geary County

Since the legalization of Marijuana by neighboring state, Colorado, the number of felony drug traffic and drug distribution charges in Riley County and Geary County have increased significantly as patrols on I70 K-9 units of Geary County Sheriff's Department have increased.  Felony drug trafficking charges range in severity depending the amount of drugs in question.

In Kansas, a Possession with Intent to Distribute charge falls into one of four drug felony categories.  Level 1 drug felonies are the most severe in terms of penalty. Level 5 is least severe.  Typically if there is a charge for possession with intent to distribute the lowest level charged will be a level 4 drug felony. 

The amount of illegal drugs will dictate how high up the felony will be charged.  If a person has more than 1 Kilogram of Cocaine, more than 100 Grams of Meth or Heroin, or more than 30 Kilograms of Marijuana you can expect to be facing a severity level 1 drug felony - the most severe drug felony.  A person with no record whatsoever, if facing a level 1 felony, could expect to see a prison sentence between 138 months and 204 months depending on their criminal history.


If you or someone you know is facing any felony drug charge contact a Criminal Defense Attorney in Manhattan, Kansas to begin work to protect your rights and defend you from these allegations.  The sooner you secure representation the better we can defend your rights and protect your interests.

Manhattan, Kansas Attorney New Expungement Website

Soon this firm will be offering a new website which will be geared exclusively towards Kansas expungements.  The website will offer information which will streamline the expungement process and offer an affordable solution to getting experienced expungement representation.  This website is offered by the Robinson Law Office and will serve all jurisdictions in Kansas including Sedgwick County, Johnson County, and Shawnee County. Luckily Kansas is a state that allows expungement of many crimes and has even recently reduced the required waiting period expunging a DUI conviction.  An expungement allows you to treat the crime as if it never happened.

The Manhattan, Kansas law firm will still offer criminal defense representation in Riley County, Geary County and surrounding areas.  This includes strong criminal defense representation for DUI, high level drug crimes, and domestic related crimes.

Felony Criminal Defense Attorney, Manhattan Kansas

In the arena of criminal defense representation in Kansas there are really two subsets of charges that a person can face.  A Misdemeanor charge and a Felony charge.  Felonies are much more serious than Misdemeanors and almost always carry a more severe penalty.  The level of your charge also may dictate what court you will be required to appear in.  The local Municipal court will likely have authority to handle most misdemeanor cases so long as the alleged crime occurred within the city limits.  If in Junction City City limits, then the Municipal Court of Junction City may have jurisdiction.  Same goes for Manhattan City limits and the Manhattan Municipal Court.

Felony charges, no matter where they occurred within the county, will always occur at the County District Court.  This is because the seriousness of the charge means it must be heard by a judge of the State of Kansas.  As someone charged with a Felony in Kansas, you are also entitled to an extra hearing on the matter. That hearing is called a preliminary hearing.

A preliminary hearing is a "probable cause" hearing wherein the state only need put on a little bit of evidence to prove that there is probable cause that a felony was committed and the defendant was the one that committed it.  Because it is only a probable cause standard most preliminary hearings are not won but are rather used to flush out details in the State's case or pin down the witnesses who will be testifying at trial.

For representation by an experience attorney for a felony in Manhattan, Kansas or Junction City, Kansas contact a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney in the area.