By Gavin Montague, former client
From 2009-2015, I was arrested and convicted of more than six cases, including possession of drugs, drug paraphernalia, and even sales of drugs.
I was battling a drug addiction that began after surgery for a sports-related injury in high school. I was young, unaware, and unequipped to deal with the mess that my life turned into. After my last conviction, I acknowledged that I had a serious problem and sought help, wanting to turn my life around. I saw how the life that I lived while on drugs was hurting me, as well as those around me, and how it also led to the poor decisions that resulted in me breaking the law. I was so devastated by the state of my life that I was determined to make whatever changes were necessary to build a new one.
Since my convictions and completing a rehabilitation program, I have returned to school and maintained just under a 4.0 grade point average, I have been employed for almost 11 years and received a promotion, and I surround myself with functional productive people who have similar goals. I have also decided to pursue a degree and certification in Radiologic Technology. I have been accepted to a Radiology program that started this fall. Thanks to the expungement of my record, I went through the background check with the radiology board without fear that my past would block my ability to progress.
The expungements and clearing of my records have helped me tremendously in moving forward with my life in a positive direction. I am determined to continue to better my life and help those like me who are struggling with moving forward in their lives.
I am grateful to Community Legal Aid SoCal for helping me with the expungements. I tried to do them myself, but it was overwhelming. The expungement staff were wonderful and worked with me to get everything served, filed, and all the expungements granted. Now, at age 33, I can start my school with a clean slate and get a great job upon graduation.
