Fort Worth Expungement Lawyers

Clearing Your Path to a Fresh Start: Why You Need a Fort Worth Expungement Lawyer

If you’ve found yourself on this page, you may be seeking a way to move forward from your past and secure a brighter future. At Deandra Grant Law, we understand the impact a criminal record can have on your life, and we are here to offer you the support and legal guidance you need to pursue an expungement or nondisclosure of your criminal charges in Fort Worth, TX.

Understanding Expungement and Nondisclosure

Having a criminal record can create barriers to employment, housing, education, and other opportunities. Expungement and nondisclosure are legal remedies that can help you leave your past behind and start anew. Expungement completely removes a criminal charge from your record, as if it never happened. Nondisclosure, on the other hand, seals your criminal record from public view, allowing you to legally deny its existence in most circumstances.

Understanding Eligibility for Expungement

In Texas, certain individuals are eligible for expungement if they meet specific criteria. These include:

• Acquittal or Pardon: If you were tried and acquitted, or if you were convicted but later pardoned or relieved because of actual innocence, you may be eligible for expunction.
• Unlawful Carrying of Weapon (UCW) Charges: In certain circumstances, individuals convicted of Unlawful Carrying of Weapon charges may be eligible for expungement.
• Dismissed Cases: Cases that were dismissed without community supervision, unless they were class C tickets, and cases in which the statute of limitations has expired may be eligible for expungement.
• No Charges Filed: If you were arrested, but charges were never filed, and a specific waiting period has expired, you may be eligible for expunction. The waiting period varies based on the severity of the offense.
• Clerical Errors: In cases where an arrest occurred due to a clerical error, expungement may be possible.

What is an Order of Nondisclosure in Texas?

An order of nondisclosure is like an expunction. It provides relief from the limitations arising from involvement in a criminal matter. However, it does not completely clear your record. Instead, it seals it.

A distinction exists between record clearing and record sealing. With record clearing (through an expunction), the information concerning your case is removed and destroyed. With record sealing (through nondisclosure), the details concerning your case are still maintained. However, neither the court nor criminal justice agencies with access to your files can provide that information to the public. Your record can only be released to certain entities under limited circumstances.

Requesting an order of nondisclosure begins with preparing and filing a petition. You must demonstrate in your petition that you are eligible to pursue this avenue for relief. You must also ensure that you submit the documents to the correct court.

After you submit your petition, the court will:

• Notify the District Attorney’s Office of your request,
• Schedule you for a hearing, and
• Determine whether sealing your record is in the best interest of justice.

Our nondisclosure lawyers in Dallas are here to prepare your file and demonstrate that you are entitled to file a petition.

Who Qualifies for Nondisclosure?

Chapter 411 of the Texas Government Code lists the criteria for seeking an order of nondisclosure in various circumstances. We’ll discuss the specific requirements for each a bit later. But generally, to qualify for nondisclosure, you must not have been convicted of or placed on deferred adjudication community supervision during the sentence or waiting period for the offense you are requesting to have sealed. In other words, you must have been crime-free (except for traffic violations) after a decision was made in the case you are seeking nondisclosure for.

You may not qualify for an order of nondisclosure if you are requesting relief from or have been previously convicted or placed on community supervision for:

An offense requiring registration as a sex offender;

• Aggravated kidnapping;
• Murder;
• Capital murder;
• Trafficking of persons;
• Continuous trafficking of persons;
• Injury to a child, elderly person, or disabled individual;
• Abandoning or endangering a child;
• Violating a condition of bond set in a family violence, sexual assault, indecent assault, stalking, or trafficking case;
• Stalking; or
• A family violence offense.

What Offenses are Eligible for Nondisclosure in Texas?

The records for certain misdemeanors or felonies resulting in convictions or deferred adjudication community supervision may be eligible for nondisclosure.

Below we discuss the criteria and processes for different situations.

Nonviolent Misdemeanors Resulting in Deferred Adjudication Community Supervision (Texas Government Code § 411.072)

Relief is available to first-time offenders whose judgment was deferred and were placed on community supervision at a certain time.

Typically, though the court will not automatically issue an order of nondisclosure without a request from an eligible person, the nondisclosure process is more streamlined if the individual meets the general criteria for nondisclosure and the judge discharges and dismisses the case.

Automatic nondisclosure for nonviolent misdemeanors resulting in community supervision is not available if the offense was:

• DWI or BWI,
• Kidnapping,
• A sexual offense,
• An assaultive offense,
• An offense against the family,
• Disorderly conduct,
• Public indecency,
• A weapons crime, or
• Organized crime.

Certain Misdemeanors and Felonies Resulting in Deferred Adjudication Community Supervision (Texas Government Code § 411.0725)

An individual may petition for an order of nondisclosure if placed on deferred adjudication community supervision for certain misdemeanors or felonies. However, they are not eligible for relief if the offense was DWI or BWI.

The individual can file a petition:

• After their case was discharged and dismissed (for certain misdemeanors only).
• 2 years after the discharge and dismissal of their case if it involved any of the following misdemeanors:
• Kidnapping
• Sexual offense
• Assault
• Offense against the family
• Disorderly conduct
• Public indecency
• 5 years after their case was dismissed if it were a felony

Certain DWI or BWI Misdemeanors Resulting in Deferred Adjudication Community Supervision (Texas Government Code § 411.0726)

Individuals convicted of a first-time misdemeanor DWI or BWI may petition for an order of nondisclosure 2 years after the court has dismissed and discharged their case.

If the District Attorney’s Office provides evidence that the person caused an accident involving someone else (including a passenger in the person’s own car), the court may not grant the request for relief.

Completion of a Veterans Court Treatment Program (Texas Government Code § 411.0727)

Relief may be available for veterans convicted of or placed on deferred adjudication community supervision for felonies or misdemeanors and ordered to attend a treatment program. They can petition for nondisclosure 2 years after completing the program. However, they are not eligible if the information they are requesting to have sealed is related to a DWI offense.

Certain Misdemeanors Resulting in Community Supervision Upon a Conviction (Texas Government Code § 411.073)

If a person is convicted of a misdemeanor and ordered to confinement as a condition of community supervision, they could petition for an order of nondisclosure. However, operating while intoxicated offenses are not eligible under this statute.

To qualify for relief, the individual must:

• Have completed the community supervision period, including the term of confinement;
• Have satisfied all fines, court costs, and victim restitution; and
• Not have been previously convicted of or placed on deferred adjudication community supervision for any offense.

The individual can submit a petition after:

• Completing their term of community supervision; or
• 2 years after completing their term of community supervision if they were convicted of kidnapping, a sexual offense, assault, an offense against the family, disorderly conduct, public indecency, or a weapons crime.

Certain DWI Convictions Resulting in Community Supervision (Texas Government Code § 411.0731)

A person may petition for an order of nondisclosure for a DWI conviction if the offense was a misdemeanor and did not involve a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more. To be eligible under the statute, the individual must have been ordered to serve a term of confinement as a condition of community supervision.

The individual can apply for relief after completing their sentence and paying all costs and fees:

• 2 years after finishing the community supervision term, if they were ordered to and complied with the condition to have an ignition interlock device installed (IID) on their vehicle.
• 5 years after finishing the community supervision term if they did not have an IID restriction.

The court may not grant the request if the District Attorney’s Office shows that the DWI offense led to an accident involving another person (including a passenger in the petitioner’s own vehicle).

Certain Misdemeanor Convictions (Texas Government Code § 411.0735)

Convictions for misdemeanors other than alcohol-related offenses may be eligible for an order of nondisclosure. The individual must have completed their sentence, including satisfying periods of confinement, fines, costs, and restitution.

The individual does not qualify if:

• They were previously convicted of or placed on deferred adjudication community supervision for any other offense; or
• The information they are seeking to have sealed was for a sexual or violent crime.

The person may file a petition:

• Immediately after completing the sentence for a Class C misdemeanor, or
• 2 years after completing their sentence for a Class B or A misdemeanor.

Certain DWI Convictions (Texas Government Code § 411.0736)

A nondisclosure may be granted for misdemeanor DWI convictions not involving a BAC of 0.15 or more. The individual must be a first-time offender and complete their sentence, including terms of confinement, fines, costs, and restitution. They might not be eligible if their offense resulted in an accident involving another person (including a passenger in their own vehicle).

The individual may apply for an order of nondisclosure:

• 3 years after completing their sentence, if they were ordered to have an IID installed on their vehicle, or
• 5 years after completing their sentence if they were not subject to an IID restriction.