Hello,
Absolutely not, you are being gouged. If the charges have been dismissed, you are entitled to an expungement. You do not even need an attorney to file for expungement.
This is the form in GA:
http://rockdalesheriff.com/expunge.pdf
From GA .gov website:
O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37(d) (1) allows for the expungement of arrest charges by a local law enforcement agency when certain conditions are met (as outlined in this statute). If approved by the local arresting agency, and the appropriate prosecutor, the arrest cycle is sealed on the Georgia criminal history report by GCIC. Access to that arrest information is restricted to criminal justice agencies only. The arrest is expunged in its entirety from the FBI criminal history record.
The following are examples of final court dispositions that may qualify: Dismissed: Not Presented to Grand Jury: No Further Action Anticipated; Nolle Prossed/Prosequi; Dead Docket; or No Record on File. All applications must be approved or denied by the appropriate prosecutor.
To apply for the local record expungement, contact the arresting law enforcement agency to obtain an application for Local Record Expungement. The request for expungement form is a three-part form:
(d)(1) An individual who was: (A) Arrested for an offense under the laws of this state but subsequent to such arrest is released by the arresting agency without such offense being referred to the prosecuting attorney for prosecution; or (B) After such offense referred to the proper prosecuting attorney, and the prosecuting attorney dismisses the charges without seeking an indictment or filing an accusation may request the original agency in writing to expunge the records of such arrest, including any fingerprints or photographs of the individual taken in conjunction with such arrest, from the agency files. Such request shall be in such form as the center shall prescribe. Reasonable fees shall be charged by the original agency and the center for the actual costs of the purging of such records, provided that such fees shall not exceed $50.00.
Thanks.
Matt
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