Call us to see if you are eligible to have your Houston criminal record cleared. A Harris County criminal defense attorney discusses what an expunction is and who is eligible for it.
Please call us at 713-651-1444 and by answering some quick questions we can usually tell you if there is a way to clear your Houston criminal record. Having a criminal record can impact your ability to get a job, attend a school, obtain licenses or receive certain government benefits. It is in your interest to see if anything can be done about your Houston criminal record.
When people ask about clearing a criminal record they are usually talking about an expunction. If your record is expunged, Court orders that the records related to the arrest and criminal prosecution be turned over and destroyed. If the expunction is granted you can deny that you were ever arrested or prosecuted for a crime in almost every situation imaginable. This means on a job or college application you are by law supposed to answer no if these questions are asked. An example of how clear your record is, after an expunction is granted not even police or prosecutors should be able to see it. It should be noted that most people are not eligible for an expunction. It is available mostly in cases where a person was found not guilty or where the charges were dismissed against you.
Although anyone can file for an expunction it is best to hire an experienced expunction attorney. We have represented clients who have filed for an expunction by themselves and paid the filing fee only to discover that because of a mistake they made they would have to start over. An expunction is a civil lawsuit against the governmental agencies and entities that have and disseminate your criminal record. There are numerous technical aspects that can be difficult to those without experience in this area of the law and particularly to non-lawyers.
If you are not able eligible for an expunction you may still be eligible to have your criminal history sealed from the public. If your case was in Harris County, Galveston County, Brazoria County, or Fort Bend please fill out a contact form and we can help you figure out if there is anything that can be done about your criminal record.