Expungement refers to a specific proceeding. It refers to the petition in a civil action by the plaintiff to expunge his or her record of criminal conviction. To expunge a record means to either destroy it or to seal it. In either action, the expungement serves to erase the criminal behavior from the records of the individual. Expungment is not a pardon. It generally applies to juvenile criminal records of those no older than 17 or 18. Yet, expungment is also not a given. It does not apply to all types of crimes or in all situations. A court can deny expungement if the time allotted to the record is not passed. If the individual is pending arrest, has a conviction for sexual offenses or is a registered sex offender, the request for an expungement proceeding will be denied. Expungement will also not go ahead if the case to be expunged is still open.