Over 28 Years of Good Lawyering for Houstonians
With nearly three decades as a DWI attorney in Houston, I can tell you that I’ve worked with many good people that were arrested. Some of them made a mistake in their youth or in their teenage years that resulted in an arrest, a criminal charge, and finally, a criminal record that appears during background checks.
If you’re looking for options to get arrest records or even criminal records off of your background, our law firm may be able to help. If your case qualifies, there’s no reason why you should have a criminal record.
ASK US ABOUT CLEARING YOUR CRIMINAL RECORDS
Criminal Records: a Long-Term Detriment
When a person is applying for employment or enrollment into an institution of higher learning, their criminal background will come into question. If the applicant is found to have a criminal background, the chances for the applicant drop considerably.
Such a background can ruin your chance of being hired to work for a major Fortune 500 corporation or admission into a premier accredited educational institution.
Needless to say, yet often overlooked, cataclysmic societal denials of this type can create unintended life paths which can lead in undesired directions, generally culminating in limited possibilities for growth and flourishment.
People Change & Learn From Their Mistakes
Criminal record sealing, expunction, expungement, and certificates of non-disclosures are available because the courts understand that people change. Many former defendants aren’t the same people now that they were when charged with the crime in the past.
However, some criminal records aren’t eligible for sealing or expunction. Those offenses are listed below.
- Indecency with a child
- Sexual assault
- Aggravated sexual assault
- Prohibited sexual conduct (incest)
- Aggravated kidnapping
- Burglary of a habitation with intent to commit any of the above offenses
- Compelling prostitution
- Sexual performance by a child
- Possession of child pornography
- Promotion of child pornography
- Unlawful restraint & kidnapping
- Aggravated kidnapping of a person under 17 years of age
- Capital murder
- Murder & Solicitation of Murder
- Injury to a child, Senior Citizen, or Person with a Disability
- Abandoning A Child
- Child Endangerment
- Attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation to commit any of the offenses listed above.
- Violation of a protective order
- Violation of a magistrate’s order
- Stalking
False Criminal Records Can Be Removed!
We Help Victims of Identity Theft Fight Fake Criminal Records
At our law firm, we’ve talked with many good people who have a criminal record, but never committed a criminal act to speak. The reason these people have criminal records is usually a result of stolen identity.
In most legal consultations related to criminal record clearing & expungement that we’ve had with our existing and potential clients, and in most of the cases in which we’ve conducted investigations to uncover why a criminal record is attached to a person with no legitimate criminal history, we’ve found that an overwhelming majority of these cases are the result of people giving false information to police when they’re arrested.
In the majority of these situations, the identity of our client was stolen by a close friend or relative. The only reason our client found out about the identity theft is because of an application being rejected or a warrant being issued for their arrest.
In Houston, a person’s criminal background record may be pulled for reasons related to apartment leasing, homeowner association reviews, and Concealed Handgun Licensing, in addition to other prerequisite application reviews for career and collegiate purposes.
Expunction & Certificates of Non Disclosure
Under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedures’ Title 1. Code of Criminal Procedure, in Chapter 55. Expunction of Criminal Records¹, Expunction & Certificates of Non-Disclosure can be obtained for a number of criminal offenses which include both misdemeanors and felonies.
If a person has successfully paid their debt to society and completed any deferred adjudication period demanded by the court, legally sealing their criminal records from civilian access may be possible.
Expunging criminal records and/or gaining a non-disclosure seal is a litigation process that’s wrought with complications and best left to an experienced attorney that understands the complexities involved with such litigatory filings. If you need help with your situation or need to consult with an experienced criminal defense attorney in Houston, we’re here to help.
Can You Get Your Criminal Record Sealed?
There are several circumstantial details that can prevent the sealing of one’s criminal record. The first step of the process would be to review your criminal history to ensure that you qualify for an expunction.
In most cases, when a person is found not guilty of a crime, found innocent, successfully completed probation, completed deferred adjudication, or has paid their debt to society (in the case of people who were found guilty of their crimes), some form of option will be available to limit or eliminate the visibility of your criminal records.
Not all criminal records are eligible for expunction, including some forms of DWI.
If you live in the Houston, TX, area and need more information about having your criminal record(s) expunged, call our law office at 281-280-0100. If you would prefer to send us a message, click here to send a message to our legal team.