aww damnit... how long to charges stay on records

Sorry this might get kinda long...

Damnit I'm pissed, I had a clean record until last night... We weren't even smoking yet. A freind and I were dropping another friend off at his car in a small ramp nearby after going out for a some beers and stopping at a restaraunt to eat and sober up. There had a been a patrol car on the next street over, but we werent really doing anything to cause alarm at that point. So after we dropped the first freind off my buddy and I were gonna smoke a bowl so we packed one up and were gonna leave and smoke it somewhere else... As we were leaving the cop swoops into the lot, waits for us to exit first then gets behind us right away, and flips the lights on. (There's no way he could have seen us packing) . It was a K-9 unit though so we were honest and my freind had just finished packing and had some crumbs left on his lap. I ended up with a paraphenelia charge, and my freind got a paraphenelia and a minor possesion.

Im not really all that jazzed about having to $150 for a a $10 pipe, but my biggest concern is how long the charge stays on your record... I'm gonna be getting my degree after this year and I'm gonna be looking for a decent job. haqving this on my record is gonna be a real pain in the ass. SO... Anyone know how long a charge like that stays on record?

It's there forever.
You may make a legal motion to have the case sealed, in which case only law enforcement my access the details, but not potential employers.
This will cost you though; you'll need a good attorney.

That is what I was thinking, that it is there forever..i guess be thankful it is a paranelphia charge and not a possesion charge.

not true at all actually, ive had friends that had these charges expunged off there record after a couple years for the para. charge but not any possession charges.

yeah dazed... thats what I was thinking... I could have sworn I've had friends who have gotten caught before with just para and a few years later it's off the record. Unless like Stinky said they paid for it... How much does something like that cost to get sealed or expunged?

I had my charges (i got pulled over in a total bullshit situation too, cop said i was doing 20 over when i KNOW i was doing the speed limit) expunged the day i returned to court, and i had a speeding ticket, a para charge and possession. I had to pay 150 dolla to take a drug class, in which i learned nothing (yay for being spoon fed propaganda), then upon returning to court i had to present my drug school certificate and they expunged the whole thing off my record for me (for free i might add, suppose i picked the right city to get arrested in).

So can anyone confirm, if it's not posession and just paraphanelia, is there a chance it will get sealed or expunged, once I send in the fine or after a couple years?

Or will I have to pay to prevent employers from seeing it on my record, and how much does that usually cost?

i don't know your states laws and procedures on the subject (hell it varied between cities for me) but you SHOULD be able to get it expunged, dunno if it'll be free or not.