Making a misstep may lead to a criminal charge and conviction. While the lapse in judgment may prove temporary, the record it leaves behind is anything but.
Many criminal convictions do not qualify for complete deletion or expungement. However, Texas law allows some elements of your criminal record to be wiped away. This expunction process may allow you to move forward without sensitive details of your conviction getting in your way.
Are there benefits to an expunction?
Having a criminal record may impact you for years after. While some items do not carry the heft of others, even a minor blip on a background check may prove detrimental to various areas of your life, including:
- Employment
- Financial aid or scholarships for school
- Child custody or adoption
- Driving
- Visa application
What qualifies for an expunction?
An expunction may help rid your record of certain items relating to your criminal record. While it does not make a conviction disappear, it may eliminate some of the elements of that conviction.
An arrest
There are a few instances where you may have an arrest removed from your record. For example, if the arrest did not result in a formal proceeding and the statute of limitations has passed, it may qualify for expunction. When the crime necessitated another party to step up and press charges, but that person did not, the court may void it from your record.
A charge
If you faced a charge that a judge eventually dismissed, you may petition for an expunction.
A conviction
Sometimes, a conviction may prove eligible for expunction. If the appeals court overturned your conviction or the governor pardoned you, an expunction petition may remove it from your record.
If some aspects of your record qualify for expunction, you may want to proceed with a petition.