Expunction Non-Disclosure Lawyer in Sugar Land and Fort Bend County, Texas

EXPUNCTION/
NON DISCLOSURE

Sugar Land Expunction Lawyer/Non-Disclosure Lawyer in Texas- Having an arrest or indictment on your criminal record can be disastrous to your personal and professional life. Did you know that after you have accepted deferred adjudication probations for your misdemeanor and/or felony arrest and have completed the probation in agreement with a dismissal, this offense still remains on your record for life? Did you know that even though your case got dismissed, it still shows up as a dismissal (with the charge) for the rest of your life? This is one the biggest generally accepted misconceptions regarding a dismissal.

Your arrest, court and probation terms remain on your record, and are available to the public unless you are granted a petition for non-disclosure by the courts or an expunction. These measures will have your offense legally removed from your record by the courts. You may be entitled to have your Texas criminal record cleaned if you meet certain qualifications.

Call 832-356-4404

for a complimentary 30-minute strategic planning session.

WHAT IS A PETITION/ORDER FOR NON-DISCLOSURE AND EXPUNCTION?

In plain English, an order for non-disclosure is removing harmful information from the public eye. An expunction is erasing the information as if the incident never happened.

An order for non-disclosure is an order that prevents law enforcement agencies from making your records available to the public. It also allows you to legally deny the occurrence of the arrest and prosecution. Your present and future employers, lenders, educational institutions, leasing agents, landlords, adoption agencies, neighbors and everyone else may have access and view your record, potentially to negative consequences. The intent behind the order for non-disclosure is to protect you from criminal background check prejudice.

However, sealing the record from the public is not the same as expunging a record. Sealing only prevents release to the public, which means that this information will still be available to law enforcement and other state agencies, and may still be used against you should there be any subsequent criminal proceedings. In order to have your record cleared completely, you must qualify for an expunction. In Texas, an expunction is the complete deletion of an entire criminal file. This is to help you if you have been wrongfully arrested and/or if you have been acquitted/found not guilty of your offense. Once expunged, you can legally deny ever being arrested for that incident.

AM I ELIGIBLE TO SEAL MY RECORD THROUGH A PETITION FOR NON-DISCLOSURE?

An order of non-disclosure is available if you have received deferred adjudication probation and successfully completed the probation. This is only for defendants that have successfully completed the deferred adjudication probation agreement. You must not have been convicted or placed on deferred for any other offense; final convictions are not eligible. The only convictions eligible for expunction are certain offenses pertaining to alcohol. Other actions that will prohibit you from becoming eligible are:
• Being found guilty of a lesser included offense
• Placement on regular probation
• Paying a fine
• A time served jail sentence

Other crimes which are not eligible for an order of non-disclosure are:
• Capital murder
• Murder
• Sex offenses
• Injury to a child or elderly person
• Violation of a protective order
• Aggravated kidnapping
• Stalking
• Any offense involving family violence
For some misdemeanors, there is a two-year waiting period from the date you completed your probation. For other misdemeanors, there is no waiting period.

Regarding felonies, there is a five-year waiting period from the date that you completed the probation.

AM I ELIGIBLE TO EXPUNGE MY RECORD?
For starters, not every type of probation is eligible for an expunction. Although deferred adjudication probation may be subject to non-disclosure, it can never be completely erased. Remember, though, the pre-trial diversion program (most commonly used in DWI, theft and drug offenses) is not considered probation, and may be eligible for expunction.
Other eligibility requirements for the expunction of your criminal record are if:
• You were found “not guilty” at trial
• Criminal charges against you were dismissed
• You were convicted, but your conviction was later overturned on appeal
• Your case was dismissed or “no-billed” by the Grand Jury
• You were arrested for an offense, but the case was never filed
• You are a victim of identity theft, and the arrested person falsely gave your information

For misdemeanors, expunctions are allowed if your offense was dismissed with no court-ordered probation, you were acquitted by the trial court or pardoned and released without court-ordered probation, and you also have no prior felony convictions in the five years preceding your date of arrest.

Regarding felonies, you must have had the charge dismissed with no probation and have not had a felony conviction within 5 years of your offense subject to expunction. Certain felonies have exceptions, exclusions and stipulations regarding eligibility that we would be happy to discuss in greater detail with you.

DISCLAIMER:
An order for non-disclosure will prohibit public information brokers that sell your records for background checks from releasing that information once they have been notified of the existence of an order of non-disclosure. There are many websites that offer these services, and each one must be served individually to ensure compliance.

Jason Lawrence, Criminal Trial Attorney at Law, is dedicated in achieving the very best for every client. If you think you may or may not be eligible for a nondisclosure or expunction, please contact Lawrence Law Firm, PLLC for a free consultation so that we may help you look forward to the future, knowing that your past is behind you.

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Sugar Land Office

695 Industrial Blvd. Suite 100 Sugar Land, Texas 77478

Houston Office

3730 Kirby Dr #1175 Houston, Texas 77098

(by appointment only)

Waco Office

(by appointment only)

(832) 356-4404

(254) 224-5529
Waco Office

Note: Information on this site should not be considered legal advice. It is provided for educational use only. If you need legal advice regarding a an offense in the State of Texas, please contact Lawrence Law Firm.

Got the job done quickly

I hired Jason for an Order of Nondisclosure for a case that was 17 years old. I called several attorneys for my case but Jason seemed to be the only one that was interested in helping me complete my request. Jason was very informative and responded to all of my emails. My request was completed and approve within a month of hiring Jason. I really appreciate Jason acting very quickly to resolve my issue.

Posted by Shaun, a Criminal Defense Client

Adoption

We hired Jason for my husband to adopt my children. He was able to take our payments through our credit card and allowed us to make payments. Also we loved that he charged a flat rate rather than hourly. It took only 8 months to finalize the adoption and it went very smoothly. I highly recommend using Jason.

Posted by Stephanie, a Family Law Client

Awesome service!!!

Jason is extremely professional and handled the case with my best interest as the main priority. Very knowledgeable and courteous and he helped me out quite a bit and saved me money and time in the long run. Very happy with Jason’s service!!

Posted by Lucas, a Criminal Defense client

Finally a painless experience!

Jason was professional, personable, knowledgeable and prepared for my court proceeding. It was refreshing to have an attorney that cares, provides answers within a reasonable amount of time and gets results. I was 100% satisfied with the services I received and would highly recommend Jason in any family court matter.

Posted by Cheryl, a Family Law client

Consummate Professional

Jason Lawrence is the consummate professional. From start to finish, he delivered on everything that was promised, and did so in a timely and trustworthy manner. He communicated with me effectively throughout the process and saw my case to a positive conclusion. I would certainly use him again and would recommend him to anyone who is looking for a lawyer in the Houston area.

Posted by John, a Criminal Defense client

Got my case completely dismissed

I was charged with simple assault in Brazoria County over a bogus charge my ex girlfriend put on me. I only had to go to court twice and Jason got the charges completely dropped after talking to the prosecutor. Would recommend him to everyone!

Posted by Marius, a Criminal Defense client

Expunction Non-Disclosure Lawyer in Sugar Land and Fort Bend County, Texas