San Antonio Expungement Lawyer

A mark on your criminal record can have a number of consequences for your life. You may have more trouble finding job opportunities, and others may be wary of working with you. Depending on your circumstances, however, you may be able to get your record expunged. Expungement means that your criminal record is cleared or sealed, which prevents it from being publicly viewed. While it is important to discuss this option with an expungement lawyer for the details, there are a couple of circumstances under which you may be eligible for expungement:

• You were pardoned or declared innocent after a guilty conviction.
• While you were arrested, you were never formally charged.
• The court dismissed the case against you.
• You were acquitted.

There may be waiting times involved before you are able to officially apply for a record expungement. This waiting period can be anywhere from 180 days (for a Class C misdemeanor) to 3 years (for a felony). In order to get an expungement, you’ll need to file an application, preferably with the assistance of a San Antonio expungement lawyer.

If you are seeking criminal record expungement attorneys in the San Antonio, TX area, then consider calling HGC Law Firm PLLC. Our record expungement lawyers are some of the best in the business. We understand that a single mistake shouldn’t define your life and are ready to help you be free of it. Please consider calling us to speak to an expert in expungement law today.

In San Antonio and throughout Texas, filing an expungement petition is the process necessary to legally remove an offense from a person’s criminal history file. An expungement will force state agencies as well as private companies to remove references to your arrest record in their electronic files while also destroying any hard files related to your arrest.

• You were acquitted of the crime for which you were charged.
• You were convicted but subsequently found innocent of the crime.
• You were convicted but subsequently pardoned.
• You were formally charged by indictment or information, but the case was later dismissed and the statute of limitations has expired.

Additionally, a person may be eligible for expungement if they were arrested and not formally charged, so long as they meet the satisfactory waiting periods mentioned here:

• Class C misdemeanor – 180 days from the date of the arrest
• Class A or B misdemeanor – one year from the date of the arrest
• Any felony offense – three years from the date of the arrest

These waiting periods do not apply if you were acquitted, pardoned, or convicted but found to be factually innocent. After the expungement of your criminal history in San Antonio, you are legally allowed to deny that you were arrested for the purposes of employment applications or other contexts in which the question would arise. Expungements are powerful and effective ways of giving a person accused of a crime a fresh start.

When you get your record expunged, your criminal records are destroyed. This leads to the criminal charges largely becoming untraceable. However, when you get an order of nondisclosure, the criminal records still exist, but they will be harder for people to access. For example, civilian employers are not able to see sealed records.

Under Texas law, a person can file a nondisclosure petition if they have completed deferred adjudication probation. This applies even for most felony cases. In this state, deferred adjudication is a type of plea arrangement in which a defendant agrees to probation, and the court dismisses the case if the defendant successfully completes the probation. In Texas, some people can even have their criminal records sealed even if they have been convicted of certain offenses. For example, first-time DWI offenders can request a nondisclosure of their DWI conviction if they have no other criminal history.

When a record has been sealed, only a small group of government agencies and other entities will be able to see your criminal profile.

For example, a first-time DWI offender would have to wait either two years or five years to request a seal of their records, depending on whether or not they completed probation within an ignition interlock device for the required period of time.

A hearing appointment for an expungement or nondisclosure petition will usually take 30 days after a request but often takes longer. If the petition is granted, it can take various state agencies up to 12 months to destroy the records. In general, a person can expect their expungement to take 60 to 90 days before their criminal background checks begin to clear up. Nondisclosure petitions that are granted will typically occur almost immediately, however, many private companies may not update their records unless they are specifically informed of the orders.

Preparing an expungement or nondisclosure order can be complicated. The best way to ensure that you complete this process appropriately and get a hearing date is to work with an experienced expungement lawyer in San Antonio.

When you get your record expunged, your criminal records are destroyed. This leads to the criminal charges largely becoming untraceable. However, when you get an order of nondisclosure, the criminal records still exist, but they will be harder for people to access. For example, civilian employers are not able to see sealed records.

Under Texas law, a person can file a nondisclosure petition if they have completed deferred adjudication probation. This applies even for most felony cases. In this state, deferred adjudication is a type of plea arrangement in which a defendant agrees to probation, and the court dismisses the case if the defendant successfully completes the probation. In Texas, some people can even have their criminal records sealed even if they have been convicted of certain offenses. For example, first-time DWI offenders can request a nondisclosure of their DWI conviction if they have no other criminal history.

When a record has been sealed, only a small group of government agencies and other entities will be able to see your criminal profile.

How Long Does Expungement Take in San Antonio?

Any person who has been arrested will want to get the damaging charges off of the criminal record as soon as possible if they can. However, the processes involved in legal expungement and nondisclosure petitions can take some time to complete. Understanding exactly how long these processes can take is complicated, so giving an adequate time frame that can be used as a guideline is difficult.

For example, a first-time DWI offender would have to wait either two years or five years to request a seal of their records, depending on whether or not they completed probation within an ignition interlock device for the required period of time.

A hearing appointment for an expungement or nondisclosure petition will usually take 30 days after a request but often takes longer. If the petition is granted, it can take various state agencies up to 12 months to destroy the records. In general, a person can expect their expungement to take 60 to 90 days before their criminal background checks begin to clear up. Nondisclosure petitions that are granted will typically occur almost immediately, however, many private companies may not update their records unless they are specifically informed of the orders.

Preparing an expungement or nondisclosure order can be complicated. The best way to ensure that you complete this process appropriately and get a hearing date is to work with an experienced expungement lawyer in San Antonio.

When you get your record expunged, your criminal records are destroyed. This leads to the criminal charges largely becoming untraceable. However, when you get an order of nondisclosure, the criminal records still exist, but they will be harder for people to access. For example, civilian employers are not able to see sealed records.

Under Texas law, a person can file a nondisclosure petition if they have completed deferred adjudication probation. This applies even for most felony cases. In this state, deferred adjudication is a type of plea arrangement in which a defendant agrees to probation, and the court dismisses the case if the defendant successfully completes the probation. In Texas, some people can even have their criminal records sealed even if they have been convicted of certain offenses. For example, first-time DWI offenders can request a nondisclosure of their DWI conviction if they have no other criminal history.

When a record has been sealed, only a small group of government agencies and other entities will be able to see your criminal profile.

For example, a first-time DWI offender would have to wait either two years or five years to request a seal of their records, depending on whether or not they completed probation within an ignition interlock device for the required period of time.

A hearing appointment for an expungement or nondisclosure petition will usually take 30 days after a request but often takes longer. If the petition is granted, it can take various state agencies up to 12 months to destroy the records. In general, a person can expect their expungement to take 60 to 90 days before their criminal background checks begin to clear up. Nondisclosure petitions that are granted will typically occur almost immediately, however, many private companies may not update their records unless they are specifically informed of the orders.

Preparing an expungement or nondisclosure order can be complicated. The best way to ensure that you complete this process appropriately and get a hearing date is to work with an experienced expungement lawyer in San Antonio.

If you’re searching for expungement lawyers, call HGC Law Firm PLLC. Our team has a proven track record of helping clients with all sorts of cases in Bexar County. We take a personalized approach to each situation in order to make sure we find a solution that works for you. Our goal is to help ensure you have the best possible future going forward. So, don’t wait. Get an expungement lawyer to help clear or seal your record today. Contact our team of legal professionals today to schedule a free consultation at our law office. Call (210) 222-9132.