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Are you currently facing criminal charges in  General Sessions Court that are punishable by a term of imprisonment in the Department of Corrections? Have you exhausted all diversionary programs from Pre-Trial Intervention (“PTI”) to a Conditional Discharge plea? Are you worried about having up a criminal conviction follow you for the remainder of your life?  Do you  had a criminal conviction appearing  on your  background report or “RAP sheet”?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you should contact the law offices of Bernstein & Bernstein, LLC, because you may be eligible for sentencing pursuant to the Youth Offender Act (YOA) and for the expungement of criminal charges.

In South Carolina, a person is eligible for a YOA sentence if they are 25 years of age or younger, charged with a non-violent offense, and his or her case has been bound over for proper criminal proceedings. Most misdemeanor and non-violent felony offenses bound over for trial in  General  Sessions Court are eligible for disposition pursuant to the Youthful Offender Act. Although a person would have to plead guilty to criminal charges pursuant to the Act, he or she is entitled to have record of the conviction expunged five years from the date of completion of  his or her  sentence, including probation or parole.

Whether you are facing non-violent felony charges in  General  Sessions  Court with no diversionary program options or you have a conviction on your record which has impeded your ability to find a well-paying job, contact the Bernstein & Bernstein, LLC, and see if one of our experienced lawyers can help.