This is the first post in a series which will discuss the benefits and process of sealing or expunging your prior criminal arrest history. Texas law provides several mechanisms for preventing a past mistake from hurting them in the future in job searches, apartment applications, or professional licensing, and most Texans don’t fully understand what can be done to prevent this. By “expunging” the arrest record in a dismissed case or petitioning the court for an “order of nondisclosure” after successful completion of a deferred adjudication, you can potentially avoid such problems. The goal of this series is to provide information which will help people understand the process of clearing their history. Contact my office to speak with a lawyer regarding sealing or expunging a criminal record in Austin, Texas.
I will be addressing a number of topics over my coming articles. Issues which I will analyze include:
- The benefits of clearing one’s record
- Potential eligibility to clear a record
- The process for doing so
- The benefits of hiring an attorney to assist with the process
These are important topics for residents of our area to understand. First, clearing one’s history will generally allow them to answer “no” when asked whether they have ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime. For obvious reasons, this can be of great assistance for those seeking employment. Second, whether or not you are eligible to clear your history will depend on the specifics of your circumstances. Understanding your eligibility is important to deciding whether or not to move forward. Third, understanding the process for sealing your history will help to make it go more smoothly. Finally, it is important to understand that an attorney may be able to help your petition for expunction or non-public disclosure go through the system without complications.
One point that I cannot stress enough is that you should begin the process of gaining a record expunction immediately if you are eligible to do so. One may be laid off or terminated from their job at any time. It is, therefore, beneficial to have a clear criminal record. If you need assistance with the process, or want to know if your case is eligible for this kind of relief, then contact my Austin office today.
My office also services the cities of Rollingwood, Round Rock, Elgin, Jonestown, Manor, Bee Cave, Lago Vista, Sunset Valley, Lakeway, Creedmoor, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Leander, and San Marcos, Texas.