CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy has filed a petition in Mecklenburg County to have his domestic violence charges expunged from his record.
Hardy's attorney, Charlotte-based Chris Fialko, confirmed the filing Monday.
The process typically is a formality that takes about four months.
Hardy, while a member of the Carolina Panthers, was charged in May with assaulting and threatening to kill ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder during an incident at Hardy's Charlotte apartment.
Hardy was found guilty in July by a Mecklenburg County judge. That verdict was set aside under North Carolina law when Hardy asked for a jury trial.
The charges were dropped in February because, according to the district attorney's office, Holder refused to cooperate in the investigation after receiving a financial settlement from Hardy.
The Panthers opted not to re-sign Hardy, who became a free agent in February, after paying him $13.1 million to play in only one game last season.
The Cowboys in March signed Hardy to a one-year, incentive-laded deal that could be worth more than $13 million if he reaches all of his incentives.
Hardy remains on the commissioner's exempt list, where he has been since September, as the NFL decides whether the 2013 Pro Bowl selection violated the league's personal conduct policy.
Hardy could be suspended up to six games or more under the policy. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said last month at the NFL owners meeting that the investigation was coming to an end and that the league would make a decision soon after that.