Everyone has moments of impulse when judgment temporarily goes by the wayside. Sometimes they wind up resulting in criminal charges. Colorado defense attorneys know that while these issues may reflect a one-time lapse, they have a way of potentially coming back to haunt a person unless action is taken to get the records expunged or sealed.

The task of getting records sealed in Colorado isn't always easy, there are specific steps that need to be followed and particular forms and record numbers that need to be collected and submitted with the court. An attorney's help is necessary. Sometimes it doesn't happen on the first application, as the figure in a rather notable case out of Florida recently discovered. Fortunately, her story ends on a bright note.

The case is that of Lisa Nowak, the former NASA astronaut who got splashed all over the front pages of newspapers around the world when she was arrested in 2007 for allegedly attacking a woman she suspected of dating her former lover, astronaut Bill Oefelin.

According to the stories at the time, Nowak allegedly had driven 900 miles from Houston to Florida to confront the other woman. When they met up, Nowak allegedly used pepper spray on the other woman. Nowak later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery and felony burglary of a conveyance and was sentenced to probation and 50 hours of community service.

According to official records, Nowak asked the court to seal her case record back in March. She cited concern that it might prevent her from getting work. The judge declined at that time, but left the door open to her resubmitting her request later.

Nowak returned in December with just that request and this time the judge granted it. The action was confirmed recently by the court's chief of due process services. The order became final Dec. 12.

Source: Standard.net, "Records sealed in NASA astronaut's love-triangle arrest," Henry Piersen Curtis, Jan. 18. 2012