Phone: 619-338-4700
Fax: 619-338-4811
E-mail: [email protected]
www.sandiegocounty.gov/public_defender
Office of the Public Defender
Fresh Start Program
450 B Street, Suite 900
San Diego, CA 92101
Fresh Start Criminal
Record Relief
Services
Expungement (Dismissal) of
Criminal Convicons
Prop. 47 Relief (Reclassifying
Certain Low Level Felonies to
Misdemeanors)
Prop. 64 Relief (Reclassifying
Certain Marijuana Crimes)
Moons to Reduce Felony
Convicons to Misdemeanors
Moons for Early Terminaon of
Probaon
Cercates of Rehabilitaon/
Gubernatorial Pardons
Gang Documentaon Relief
Human Tracking Vicm
Convicon Relief
DNA Database Expungement
Correcng Errors in Department
of Jusce Criminal History
Records
Dismissal Peons for
Successful PC1000 Parcipants
per PC1203.43
Sealing Adult Arrest Records
C O U N T Y O F S A N D I E G O
Fresh Start
Program
Comprehensive
Criminal Record
Relief
C O U N T Y O F S A N D I E G O
O F F I C E O F T H E P U B L I C
D E F E N D E R
Our Mission
To protect the rights,
liberes, and dignity of all
persons in San Diego
County and maintain the
integrity and fairness of the
American Jusce System by
providing the nest legal
representaon in the cases
entrusted to us.
Ready for a Fresh Start?
To request assistance, please ll out a
Fresh Start Request for Assistance form
found at www.sandiego.gov/
public_defender. No computer access?
Call our oce at (619) 338-4700 and we
will mail you an applicaon, or you may
pick up an applicaon at any of our
oces.
Once we receive your request for
assistance form, one of our lawyers will
review your criminal history and create a
Fresh Start Plan for you. All informaon is
kept condenal.
What can you do to get ready for a
Fresh Start?
Make a list of all the posive things you
have done to move forward in your life.
Collect any documents/records showing
the helpful things you have done for
yourself, your family and your community
since your case(s) happened (for example,
educaon, counseling, employment,
volunteer work, family commitments,
etc.).
Have a Queson?
Feel free to e-mail your queson to
Fresh.Start@sdcounty.ca.gov or call (619)
338-4700 and ask to speak to a Fresh
Start lawyer.
Do you need a Lawyer to Get
Criminal Record Relief?
Not necessarily. Some Fresh Start Criminal
Record Relief opons are relavely straight
forward. You can access the appropriate forms
from the San Diego Superior Court web site.
The San Diego County Law Library also has
resources available. While you do not
necessarily need a lawyer, you may want one.
You may hire a lawyer or our oce may be able
to help you at no cost.
Does it Cost Anything To Get a Fresh
Start?
Only a very few of the Fresh Start Relief opons
have court fees. If you have a limited income,
Fresh Start can help you apply to waive the
court fees. There is no fee for our services.
Our services are free.
Want to learn more about how to
get a Fresh Start and the criminal
record relief opons available?
For a detailed list of Frequently Asked
Quesons about the record relief services
oered through Fresh Start visit our web site:
www.sandieogcounty.gov/public_defender.
A criminal record can make nding
employment, obtaining housing,
enrolling in and funding educaon, and
securing other civic opportunies very
dicult. The good news is that there are
opons for you to move forward, even if
you have made mistakes in the
past. From reducing felony convicons
to misdemeanors to dismissing/
expunging your criminal convicons to
geng Cercates of Rehabilitaon, and
more, the County of San Diego Oce of
the Public Defender is pleased to help
you with your Fresh Start!
In order to best advise you on your
record relief opons, we will obtain a
copy of your California Department of
Jusce Criminal History Report (“rap
sheet”) on your behalf at no cost to you.
Our experienced aorneys will then
review your California criminal history,
develop a detailed Fresh Start plan,
consult with you about the best
strategies to move forward, and seek all
appropriate methods of relief for you.
Fresh Start: Comprehensive Criminal Record Relief
