California law allows for an individual who has been convicted of a crime to expunge their record at some point subsequent to their conviction. For example, many people have the ability pursuant to penal code 1203.4 to hire a lawyer and go back into court and ask the court to change the record so that it shows a not guilty plea.
In order to obtain this, a person needs to meet the following requirements:
1) They must no longer be on probation
2) They need to have met all the terms and conditions of their probation while they were on it
3) They are not currently charged with a criminal offense or serving a sentence for a criminal offense
**If you have served any prison time, you are not eligible for an expungement and instead must apply for a certificate of rehabilitation