Making Second Chances Happen for Over 20 Years
A criminal record can rob you of freedoms and opportunities, but expungement can give you a second chance. Our criminal defense services are dedicated to helping clients get their lives back. If you have had an arrest in Harris county, Texas DISMISSED in the past, you may be eligible to have it expunged. Expungement is a legal process to have a Houston arrest record erased and sealed.
If a Harris county arrest is expunged, it legally never happened, and it should never come up on a background check- EVER!
What Is Expungement in Texas?
Expungement, also called expunction, is the legal process of sealing criminal records. Once a crime is expunged, it is permanently erased from public records, including records searchable by landlords and employers. A person also gains deniability through expunction – they may deny that the criminal arrest ever happened- even a DWI.
Applying for Expungement
Your Houston expungement lawyer will file a Petition for Expunction with the Harris County District Clerk. This legal petition will request that the court grant an Order for Expunction. The petition must include specific information about the arrest you want to erase. You will need to supply our law office with details, including:
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Identifying information
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The offense charged
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The date of the arrest
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The case number/ your Harris county SPN number
It is not a problem if you do not remember all of these details! We can access the Harris county computer system and our experienced legal staff can research any details you don't remember.
Applying for a Texas expunction is complex, and many expunction requests made without an expungement lawyer are denied. You should never attempt to file a petition or pursue an expungement without an experienced Texas expunction attorney.
Why Is Expungement Important?
Some people ask us why they should bother getting an arrest expunged. They ask, "After all, it was already dismissed. Can it still hurt me?"
The answer is YES.
An arrest that is dismissed but not expunged will usually still show up on a future background check. Even if the employer sees that the charge was dismissed, it can still cause them to see you in a less favorable light and just choose someone else. You will never even know the reason you were never called in for that second interview. It doesn't sound fair, but it happens every day. Expungement is important.
Of course the nature of the dismissed Harris county charge would make a big difference in how much it could hurt future job applications, housing lease applications, applying for admission to a university, or applying for citizenship or adjustment of immigration status. Hiring an expungement lawyer to erase your arrest is very inexpensive compared to the long term costs even a dismissed case can have on you. You beat the case already- get it erased!
Is My Arrest Public Record?
A good place to start to see what is showing on your arrest record is to check yourself on the Texas DPS website. Not all employers or interested parties will use this site. There are many privately owned websites that provide public information for a fee, and some of these sites may give out more arrest information than the Texas DPS, but it is a good place to start.
Helping You Get a Fresh Start
Jim Medley Defense Lawyer is committed to legal excellence and fierce advocacy. Our firm provides a variety of legal services, from expungement to DWI defense and more. Attorney Medley has dedicated his career to protecting those who need it most. His experience as a police officer turned defense attorney enables him to provide unique insight into the criminal justice system backed by in-depth knowledge of forensics and the law.
Don’t wait! Entrust your case to our Houston expungement attorney and schedule an appointment with Jim Medley Defense Lawyer, today.
Our Expungement Experience
Jim Medley has successfully expunged over 400 arrest records. We have helped many of our clients who have enjoyed dismissals or acquittals of their DUI/ DWI cases and many other criminal arrests from our initial representation. It is important to remember that a dismissed case can still cause problems in the future. Especially in the case of a DWI/ DUI charge dismissal, if a person is ever arrested again for DUI/ DWI, the dismissed case can't be used for legal enhancement of the punishment range, however it will affect the attitude of both the prosecutor and the judge in any future case.
It is best if it never comes up!