Q: I got a felony 1 and felony 2 pertaining to an aggravated assault case in 2001. It’s been over like 17 years almost. I just want to move on and better my life, but I can’t get a good job due to the record. What can I do. (Pittsburgh, PA)

A:  If you were convicted of the felonies, they cannot be expunged. At least under the present state of the law. If you are not certain if you were convicted of the Aggravated Assault and the charges may have been reduced (to a misdemeanor or summary) you should get your criminal record to verify your history. You can expunge summary convictions after 5 years of arrest free behavior and certain misdemeanors under new expungement laws. If you are certain you have these felony convictions, your only hope is a pardon. In that case, seek out the advice of an attorney who handles pardons.