Two things: whether you meet the statutory requirements and whether you have good moral character and have been rehabilitated. The first part is arithmetic. Part two is discretionary, and R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-1.3-3 lets the judge deny a motion even when every clock has run. Judges look for steady employment, completed education or treatment, family responsibilities, community involvement, and a record that has stayed clean since the conviction, and they give real weight to letters from employers, clergy, or program directors along with your own short, honest explanation of what changed. If the Attorney General or the police department objects, expect harder questions. A prepared file answers most objections before they are raised.
