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At just 31 years old, attorney Stephanie Renner is already making a name for herself in the state’s legal community. Initially dubbed Indiana’s “expungement queen” by a mentor and now peers, Renner runs a small practice in Indianapolis that focuses on several areas: criminal, divorce, prenuptial. But her passion for the state’s expungement law runs deep, allowing her a front-row seat to clients’ stories of triumph over their pasts and hope for their futures.
Apart from running her practice, Renner is also the dedicated pet parent to a set of beagles, Quincy and Poppy, who she calls her “parabeagles.” Adopted amid her law career, the two serve as steadfast companions through Zoom calls and client consultations.
Renner joined The Indiana Lawyer’s Maura Johnson for a chat about her career.
How did you become known as the expungement queen?
It kind of started when I was in law school. I did work with another criminal attorney in Indianapolis; his name is Jeff Cardella. When I was back in law school, I started doing some work for him on different areas, and I really liked doing the expungements. So I told him I wanted to focus more on that, and he told me to read through the expungement statute and all the sections, have all of the exceptions memorized, etc., and I could start doing more of his expungement work with him.
He thought I was really good at them, and he started calling me the “Indiana expungement queen.” It started off as teasing, but then it kind of stuck, because other attorneys he worked with started sending me their expungement cases and saying, like, “Hey, Jeff Cardella said you are the expungement queen and you know stuff really well. So can you help us with this?” So that’s kind of how it started, and it’s just kind of stuck now that I’m an actual attorney.
What motivated you to start your own solo firm right out of law school?
When I was in law school, I did the evening program, so I worked full time and then went to law school at night. During the day, I was working with these solo attorneys, and I just really liked the flexibility that they had and how they were working for themselves. So I had these blueprints of attorneys where I really looked up to them.
It was kind of always my goal from the beginning to have my own setup so that I could work for myself and just have that flexibility, and I’ve really been happy. And I’ve not looked back at all.
What types of expungement cases do you specialize in?
I do expungements relating to acquittals. I’ll do expungements related to misdemeanor convictions. I’ll do low level felonies. I’ll do major felonies. I do them in every county in Indiana. So any criminal expungement in Indiana — I’ll go wherever I need to go.
Do you need a lawyer to go through the expungement process in Indiana? And if so, what are the benefits?
You’re always allowed to represent yourself in court. I don’t think it’s necessarily a good idea, especially for something like this, because you’re only allowed to file for expungement of your convictions once per lifetime in Indiana, so it’s definitely a risk for people to try to do it themselves.
We see a lot of self-represented people in court who have messed up their expungements, or they call me after they’ve already filed their own asking how to fix something because a judge wouldn’t grant what they had already filed. And they don’t really know where to go from there. And it was generally a simple paperwork error. It can be sad when these people get denied their relief because they don’t get the second chance to expunge their record.
I use the analogy: I could theoretically change the transmission in my car. But I don’t have that skill or training, and it would likely end badly. We see people who get forms from self-help clinics who try to do it on their own and then got denied, and a lot of times it’s too late.
Consulting with a lawyer is beneficial, not just because they know procedurally how to get the petition on file, but it’s important to have a professional explain the different sections of the statute and the effect that the expungement would have on their convictions. Some convictions can only be marked as expunged, but they could still appear on public record searches even after expungement, and some convictions just simply aren’t eligible for expungement at all.
What is the expungement process like from a lawyer’s perspective?
After the initial consultation, I’ll know what section to file the petition under, and depending on what that section is, the complexity does vary.
Once any of those petitions are on file with the court, the county prosecutors have 30 days to respond to the petition, and then if a hearing is set, then that can lengthen the process. It’s definitely not an immediate process, and I would say people should still expect a 60- to 90-day period depending on the type of petition and whether a hearing has to be conducted.
Once we actually have the order of expungement, the state police would need to process the order and then the state police send the order to the FBI so that the individual’s records get expunged at each level. So once it leaves the court system and goes to the agencies for processing, that can add some extra days, as well.
Are there any misconceptions about the expungement process that you must address with your clients?
Some people may come into the consultation thinking that an expungement will make everything disappear or automatically reinstate all of their rights, and sometimes there’s just additional things that I need to make them aware of. They also may be surprised about [Indiana’s one-time rule]. We only have this one opportunity to do this. If it’s not successful, then that’s kind of it. You’re stuck with whatever is on your record indefinitely.
Is there a specific case that stands out
to you so far in your career?
It’s great when an expungement can go through without a hearing, but there are other times a hearing is ordered, where those hearings can be very fulfilling. Certain expungements are called “shall grant” expungements, meaning that, pursuant to the statute, if the client is eligible and the petition meets all of the requirements, the court “shall grant” the expungement. Whereas, like some of the other sections, it’s a discretionary expungement where a judge does have the authority to make that final decision.
I’ve gone to those types of hearings where the client has the chance to advocate for themselves, and they’ve had a whole life makeover, made substantial changes in their life and can really demonstrate to both the prosecutor and the judge, like, “look, this is what I’ve done with my life. I have a good job. I have a family now.” I’ve had people collect letters or show the judge college degrees and things like that. It can be really emotional.
I enjoy that type of work and seeing people be able to advocate for themselves. I’m there for them as well, but they can show exactly what they’ve been able to change and close an unpleasant chapter in their life and really do the final work to move on and start anew.•
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