If you have been charged with a crime, or found guilty of a crime, then you will have a record of these incidents on your criminal record — generally, for the rest of your life. However, there are some opportunities that may arise for people with blemishes on their criminal records to either keep the general public from gaining access to this information through an Order of Non-Disclosure, which seals the record, or by having the information completely removed from the record by expungement.
There are many different requirements for having an arrest either sealed or expunged, which the team at Cole Paschall Law will be happy to help you navigate if you believe that you qualify. Read more below about some crimes that can be expunged from your criminal record in Texas, and contact us today for a free initial consultation about your specific situation. We will be able to discuss the circumstances of your arrest, the charges, and the findings of the court, and ultimately determine the most appropriate course of action for you moving forward. We have a history of experience as criminal defense attorneys in Fort Worth, and this experience will be a great asset for you as you work to move forward from the mistakes you have made in the past.
What is an Expungement?
An expunction is a legal process that effectively removes an arrest from an individual’s criminal record. When the arrest is expunged, it essentially means that it never happened in the first place. This may cover everything including the arrest, charges, or convictions for the specific crime in question.
There are some very specific criteria that must be met in order for a criminal record to qualify for expunction, and in most cases, it is far more likely to have the record sealed than entirely removed. However, you can read more below about what these criteria are:
What Types of Records Are Eligible for Expunction?
Primarily, a situation where a person is arrested, tried, and acquitted of a crime, or found guilty and then pardoned of the crime, is most likely to be approved for expunction. However, if they are convicted of another crime stemming from the same situation, then they will not be able to have it expunged at all.
There are a variety of other situations where a criminal record can also be expunged if they do not meet the requirements mentioned above. Some include:
- Arrested but never charged with a crime
- Certain juvenile misdemeanor offenses
- Certain alcohol-related offenses for minors
- Truancy convictions
- Any type of criminal records due to the person’s identity being stolen, and another person being arrested and charged under the stolen identity
- Crimes that were acquitted during an appeals process
There are a variety of other minor charges that have “waiting periods” that, after the time has passed since the arrest of the crime, the individual can apply to have the conviction expunged even though the arrest will remain intact on the criminal record.
Contact Us Today
As you can see, there is no “one size fits all” answer to what types of crimes arrests and convictions can or cannot be expunged in Texas. Given the specificity of each circumstance, your top bet is to first research your options through the Texas Department of Public Safety’s information on Criminal History Records, and contact us immediately to learn more about how we have handled situations like yours in the past, and get a better idea of how we can handle your case moving forward.
Expungements, as well as sealing a record, can be extremely beneficial if you are hoping to move past a bad decision or situation from years ago that continues to negatively impact your life, and it is essential that you do it the right way. With the team at Cole Paschall taking care of the process, you can be confident that everything is done properly to help your chances of success.
