Dallas Pardon Expungement Lawyer

Deferred Adjudication

In Texas, millions of people have accepted deferred adjudication probations for misdemeanors and felony arrests. Among these people, there is a common misconception that once the probation period is over and the charge dismissed, the record will not appear on a criminal record.

Unfortunately, this is not true. The arrest, court proceedings, and probation period will all remain on an individual’s criminal record and be available for public view unless an individual is granted a petition for non-disclosure or has the record expunged, if the crime for which he or she accepted deferred adjudication is eligible.

Deferred adjudication, however, is not a finding of guilt or even a final conviction. It is a plea bargain between the defendant and a Texas Criminal Court. The formal or final judgment is withheld pending the outcome of a probation period. In order to obtain deferred adjudication, an individual must enter a plea of either “no contest” or “guilty”. Basically, these are the same plea. No contest pleas protect the individual from possible civil litigation though.

Once deferred adjudication is completed, two records will remain in existence even though charges are dismissed. These are the original arrest record and the record of action of the court. These will remain in public view unless the records are sealed or expunged.

This whole ordeal is really bad for an individual. Why? It is harmful for an individual because the person is treated by society as a whole as if he or she had actually been convicted and is a convict even though they were not convicted.

If you are suffering from the negative effects of deferred adjudication, contact the Dallas record sealing lawyers of the Law Office of Mark Lassiter to discuss your case and to determine your best option to relieve yourself of these affects.