Chandler Municipal Court
Criminal and traffic cases filed in the city court, from arraignment to trial. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closes at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Phone 480-782-4700.
200 E. Chicago St., Chandler, AZ 85225
Chandler record sealing and set-asides
Record Sealing and Set-Aside Lawyer in Chandler, AZ
Get the first petition right.
Perhaps it was a shoplifting citation from a store near Chandler Fashion Center, a plea entered on Chicago Street because pleading looked like the fastest way home, or an arrest that never became a charge. Years went by and you stopped thinking about it. Then an employer, a landlord or a licensing board ran a background check, and the old Chandler case was the first line on the screen.
We can help. Nova Law Group was built by a former Maricopa County Attorney's Office felony prosecutor. We prepare every case as if it is going to trial, and we take a meticulous, aggressive approach, fighting from every angle, because the report is only one side of the story.
Talk to us before you talk to anyone else. Call (480) 405-6767. Consultations are free and confidential, and the earlier we are involved, the more we can do.
FounderRyan TaitFormer Maricopa County Attorney's Office felony prosecutorMeet Ryan →★ 5-star reviewsFormer felony prosecutorAvailable after hoursFlat fee on most criminal casesFree, confidential consultation
Record Sealing and Set-Aside Lawyer in Chandler, AZ
Which court has your Chandler case, and what that court posts
Sealing
Petitions to seal records are filed under A.R.S. § 13-911.
Set-aside
A conviction can be set aside under A.R.S. § 13-905 after the sentence is complete.
City cases
For a Chandler city case, filed with Chandler Municipal Court, 200 E. Chicago St.
County cases
Filed with the Clerk of the Superior Court, 175 W. Madison St., 12th Floor, Phoenix.
Arizona gives you three tools, and each does a different job. The set-aside statute, A.R.S. 13-905, lets a judge undo the judgment of guilt and dismiss the complaint behind it; the case stays on your history, marked as set aside. A.R.S. 13-911 is the sealing statute, and a sealed case is closed to the public. Expungement in the true sense exists only for certain marijuana offenses, under A.R.S. 36-2862.
Every request belongs to a particular court. For sealing, A.R.S. 13-911(C) sends a convicted person to the court of conviction. Chandler Municipal Court's sealing instructions say the same thing, and they tell a person whose charges were dismissed to petition "in the court where the indictment, information, criminal citation or complaint was filed against you." So the first task is to learn which court had the case.
Chandler Municipal Court, 200 E. Chicago St. A misdemeanor brought by the Chandler City Prosecutor's Office was a city court case, and relief from it is requested here. The court's forms page posts a Petition to Seal Criminal Case Record with its own instructions page, an Application for Set Aside Conviction, an Application for Certificate of Second Chance, a Petition to Expunge and a Records Request Form. The court's table of hearing types also includes a Set Aside Hearing.
A Maricopa County justice court. If a trooper or a deputy handled the investigation, the misdemeanor may have gone to one of the county's justice courts, and four of them sit at 201 E. Chicago Street. The old citation or judgment names the one that decided the case.
Maricopa County Superior Court. A felony that started with a Chandler arrest was prosecuted in Superior Court, so its record relief is requested there as well.
When there was no conviction. Dismissed charges, a not guilty verdict and an arrest that was never charged can each be sealed, and no conviction waiting period applies to any of them. For an arrest without charges, 13-911(C) directs the petition to the court where the initial appearance took place, or, where no initial appearance occurred, to the Superior Court for the county in which the arrest was made.
When there was a conviction. The waiting period begins once the non-monetary terms of the sentence are complete and the court has discharged you. Misdemeanors: two years at class 2 or 3, three years at class 1. Felonies: five years at class 4, 5 or 6, ten years at class 2 or 3. Petty offenses: no wait. On top of the wait, every fine, fee and restitution order must be paid by the day the petition goes in.
Who can respond. On a set-aside application, an objection from the State or from the victim is due within thirty days of the application, and the court may set a hearing if one arrives. On a sealing petition, the clerk gives a copy to the prosecutor, who may answer it and ask for a hearing.
The charges
Relief we pursue on Chandler records, and the limits on each
- Certificate of Second Chance. The order granting a set-aside has to include one when the conviction was a misdemeanor; when it was a class 4, 5 or 6 felony and two years have gone by since the sentence was completed; or when it was a class 2 or 3 felony and five years have. If the order did not include one, a person who later meets those terms may apply for it separately, which is why Chandler posts its own application. For someone otherwise qualified, the certificate lifts barriers to title 32 occupational licenses that came from the conviction and gives employers the protections of A.R.S. 12-558.03.
- Sealing. Open to convictions after the wait, and to dismissals, acquittals and uncharged arrests without one. Not eligible: a dangerous offense, a dangerous crime against children, a serious offense or a violent or aggravated felony, an offense with the use or threatening exhibition of a deadly weapon or the knowing infliction of serious physical injury as an element, sex trafficking, and any felony of class 2, 3, 4 or 5 located in chapter 14 or chapter 35.1 of the criminal code.
- Marijuana expungement. It applies to older cases of possessing two and a half ounces of marijuana or less (concentrate capped at 12.5 grams within that), growing no more than six plants for personal use at the person's primary residence, or having marijuana paraphernalia. A judge has to grant a petition unless the prosecutor establishes ineligibility by clear and convincing evidence.
- A past DUI. Both remedies are available on a DUI, yet the conviction can still be used to enhance a later DUI sentence. Local page: Chandler DUI.
- Firearms. Once a conviction is set aside, the Arizona right to possess a firearm comes back, except after a conviction for a serious offense. Federal law is a separate question. Related page: weapons charges in Chandler.
- Domestic violence cases. A victim who requested postconviction notice is told about the petition and has a right to be heard. Do not contact a protected person about it yourself.
- Open probation. Relief follows discharge, so a pending petition to revoke has to be dealt with first.
Where we practice
From the case search to the judge's order
Answer the State and read the DPS report. After a sealing petition is submitted, the court has DPS prepare a report listing the petitioner's arrests, prosecutions and convictions, state and federal. We compare that report with the court records. If the prosecutor responds or a victim wishes to be heard, we respond in writing and prepare for a hearing. Chandler Municipal Court treats in person attendance as the default for its hearings (Administrative Order 2026-02).
Find every case
One arrest can leave more than one case, sometimes in more than one court. For the city court we start with Find My Case, the court's search for dispositioned cases, and with its Records Request Form, which is posted in English and Spanish. We list each case number, court, offense class and completion date.
Get the police records
The Chandler Police Records Unit is at the Downtown Precinct, 250 E. Chicago St., and takes requests for reports and recordings online, by mail or in person.
Test eligibility
Each conviction is checked against the exclusion list for the remedy in question, the discharge date is confirmed, and the balance owed to the court is confirmed as zero. An unpaid fine or restitution order blocks sealing.
Build the request
The sealing standard asks whether granting the petition serves the petitioner's best interests and public safety. For a set-aside the judge considers seven things: what the offense was and how it happened; how the person did on probation or with the sentence; other convictions before or since; what the victim says and whether restitution is paid; how long ago the sentence ended; how old the applicant was; and anything else that bears on the request. We address each of those with documents.
Use the order correctly
After a sealing order, DPS designates the records as sealed in its own system and notifies the state and federal law enforcement agencies concerned. In most settings, including job, housing, financial aid and loan applications, the person may then say they were never arrested for that crime, never charged with it and never convicted of it. There are exceptions, among them an application that requires a fingerprint clearance card, a position with a law enforcement agency, a prosecutor's office, a court, a probation department, a child welfare agency or a corrections department, and a disclosure that state or federal law requires.
Know what does not change
A sealed case is not erased for every purpose. The State may still plead it as an element of a new charge, treat it as a historical prior felony, impeach a witness with it, or rely on it to increase a later sentence, a DUI sentence included. A conviction that was set aside can be used as a prior as well. After a sealing petition is denied, the statute makes the person wait three years to try again, so the first attempt should be complete. Noncitizens should get advice from an immigration lawyer first.
Record Sealing and Set-Aside Lawyer in Chandler, AZ
One downtown block holds most of a Chandler record
For a city case, nearly everything sits on one block of historic downtown Chandler, east of Arizona Avenue. Chandler Municipal Court at 200 E. Chicago St. keeps the court record and receives the petition. The Chandler Police Records Unit at 250 E. Chicago St. keeps the report. The City Prosecutor's Office, which receives a copy of a sealing petition in a city case, has the same street address.
Not every Chandler record is there. A stop by a state trooper on Loop 101, Loop 202 or Interstate 10 may have led to a justice court case, and a felony is in the Superior Court record in downtown Phoenix. Moving away changes nothing about the routing. The court that had the case is still the court that takes the request.
Record Sealing and Set-Aside Lawyer in Chandler, AZ
A former prosecutor reading the old case
Nova Law Group was built by Ryan Tait, a former Maricopa County Attorney's Office felony prosecutor. The practice is criminal defense first. We keep caseloads deliberately low, which means the lawyers on your case have time to actually read the old reports and court records line by line. A record petition gets the preparation we would give a contested hearing: every date verified, every factor documented, every likely objection answered in advance. Most criminal cases are quoted as a flat fee. Consultations are free and confidential.
Former felony prosecutorBuilt by a former Maricopa County Attorney's Office felony prosecutor.
Low caseloadsTime to watch the video and read the reports line by line.
Ready for trialA case prepared for trial changes the conversation with the prosecutor.
Flat feeMost criminal cases are quoted as a flat fee. Consultations are free and confidential.
Our office
Meet us on Camelback Road
Office: 4455 E. Camelback Rd., Suite C250, Phoenix, AZ 85018. There is no second office, and Chandler record clients are seen at Camelback Road by appointment.
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Resources
Chandler courts and official links
Where a Chandler case is heard depends on the charge and the agency. Some offices are in Chandler and some are in Phoenix. Each card has directions and the official website, so you can check details before you go.
Clerk of the Superior Court, criminal filing counter
Where petitions in county cases are filed. South Court Tower, 12th Floor.
175 W. Madison St., 12th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85003Maricopa County Superior Court, downtown
Felony cases prosecuted by the County Attorney. Confirm the building on your current notice.
Central Court Building, 201 W. Jefferson St., and South Court Tower, 175 W. Madison St., Phoenix, AZ 85003Maricopa County justice courts in Chandler
The Kyrene, San Marcos, San Tan and University Lakes Justice Courts share this building. A DPS or Sheriff's case can be assigned to a justice court. The citation names the court.
201 E. Chicago St., Chandler, AZ 85225Laws cited on this page
- A.R.S. § 13-905, Setting aside judgment of convicted person on discharge; application; release from disabilities
- A.R.S. § 13-911, Sealing of arrest, conviction and sentencing records; requirements; fee; appeal; definition
- A.R.S. § 36-2862, Expungement; petition; appeal; dismissal of complaints; rules
Common questions
Chandler record sealing questions
Back to Chandler Municipal Court, 200 E. Chicago St. The sealing statute sends a convicted person to the court of conviction, and the court's own sealing instructions say a person whose charges were dismissed petitions in the court where the citation or complaint was brought. If a justice court or Superior Court had your case, the request goes there instead.
Yes. Its Common Forms and Resources page posts a sealing petition with instructions, a set-aside application, a Certificate of Second Chance application, a Petition to Expunge and a Records Request Form. A form shows you where to sign. Whether you qualify, and how your history should be presented, is the part we handle.
In general, yes. The waiting periods in the statute apply to convictions. A dismissed charge, an acquittal and an arrest that was never charged are all eligible. The court that received the charge takes the petition; for an uncharged arrest, it is the court that held the initial appearance. The judge still has to decide that sealing serves your best interests and the public's safety.
You may. The court lists a Set Aside Hearing among its hearing types, and by Administrative Order 2026-02 its hearings are presumptively in person. The set-aside statute gives the State and the victim thirty days to lodge an objection, and the court may set a hearing if one of them does. Whether a hearing is set in your case is the court's decision.
Yes. Sealing does not prevent the old case from raising the sentence on a new DUI, and a conviction that has been set aside remains available as a prior. A set-aside also leaves in place the consequences imposed by the Department of Transportation, an ignition interlock requirement among them. Sealing is still worth considering for what it does on most job and housing applications.
Possibly. Qualifying cases are older ones: marijuana in an amount of two and a half ounces or less (12.5 grams at most in concentrate form), a personal grow at your primary residence of no more than six plants, or paraphernalia for marijuana. The burden is on the prosecutor, who must establish by clear and convincing evidence that you are not eligible; otherwise the petition is granted. Chandler Municipal Court posts a Petition to Expunge on its forms page.
Client reviews
Hear What Our Clients Say
From our Google reviews, plus Yelp and Avvo. These are clients’ own words, reproduced from our review profiles.
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Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Reseñas de clientes
Lo que dicen nuestros clientes
De nuestras reseñas en Google, además de Yelp y Avvo. Son las palabras de nuestros clientes, tomadas de nuestros perfiles de reseñas y traducidas del inglés.
★★★★★
“Son los mejores abogados de todo Arizona. Sin duda es el grupo de abogados más profesional… ¡Recomiendo esta firma!”
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“Sydney fue sumamente minuciosa con cada detalle de mi caso penal… al final, eso resultó en una victoria clara y contundente para mi caso.”
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Los resultados anteriores no garantizan un resultado similar.
Talk to a Chandler criminal defense lawyer
If you have been arrested, charged, or contacted by a detective in Chandler, the decisions you make in the first few days matter. We defend misdemeanors in Chandler Municipal Court and the justice courts, and felonies in Maricopa County Superior Court downtown.
Free, confidential consultation: (480) 405-6767
Prefer not to call? Send us your case details and a member of our team will follow up with you.
Chandler courts
- Chandler Municipal CourtCriminal and traffic cases filed in the city court. Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; closes at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.200 E. Chicago St., Chandler, AZ 85225Court website Directions
- Justice courtsKyrene, San Marcos, San Tan and University Lakes Justice Courts. Your citation names the court.201 E. Chicago St., Chandler, AZ 85225Court website Directions
- Maricopa County Superior CourtFelonies, at the downtown criminal court complex.Central Court Building, 201 W. Jefferson St., and South Court Tower, 175 W. Madison St., Phoenix, AZ 85003Court website Directions
Our office: Nova Law Group, PLLC, 4455 E. Camelback Rd., Suite C250, Phoenix, AZ 85018. Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., by appointment. Directions
Hable con un abogado de defensa penal en Chandler
Si lo arrestaron, lo acusaron o un detective lo contactó en Chandler, las decisiones que tome en los primeros días importan. Defendemos delitos menores en la Corte Municipal de Chandler y en las cortes de justicia, y delitos graves en la Corte Superior del Condado de Maricopa en el centro de Phoenix.
Consulta gratuita y confidencial: (480) 405-6767
¿Prefiere no llamar? Envíenos los detalles de su caso y un miembro de nuestro equipo se comunicará con usted.
Cortes de Chandler
- Corte Municipal de ChandlerCasos penales y de tránsito presentados en la corte municipal. De lunes a viernes, de 8:00 a.m. a 5:00 p.m.; cierra a las 4:30 p.m. los miércoles.200 E. Chicago St., Chandler, AZ 85225Sitio de la corte Cómo llegar
- Cortes de justiciaCortes de justicia Kyrene, San Marcos, San Tan y University Lakes. Su citación indica la corte.201 E. Chicago St., Chandler, AZ 85225Sitio de la corte Cómo llegar
- Corte Superior del Condado de MaricopaDelitos graves, en el complejo penal del centro.Central Court Building, 201 W. Jefferson St., and South Court Tower, 175 W. Madison St., Phoenix, AZ 85003Sitio de la corte Cómo llegar
Nuestra oficina: Nova Law Group, PLLC, 4455 E. Camelback Rd., Suite C250, Phoenix, AZ 85018. De lunes a viernes, de 8:00 a.m. a 6:00 p.m., con cita previa. Cómo llegar
RecognitionReconocimientos
Awards and ratingsPremios y calificaciones
Awards and ratings reflect the standards of the organizations that issue them. They do not predict the outcome of any case.Los premios y las calificaciones reflejan los criterios de las organizaciones que los otorgan. No predicen el resultado de ningún caso.