Reference Letter Sample. Ask at least 3 persons to write you a reference letter for expungement or character letter for expungement.First Paragraph (write 3-5 sentences): Introduce yourself to the judge. Explain how you know the person who is trying to clear their record. Discover effective character letter examples for court to expunge your criminal record in California. Learn what to say to the judge with our samples. The letter should include the name of the court your case was filed in and the case number at the top right. Put the caption (St. v. Sample Format for a Character Letter. If you have been asked to write a character letter, this simple template may be a useful guide.