Harris County Criminal Record Expungement
Houston Expungement Lawyer James Sullivan helps people get their criminal records expunged so that they can get good jobs, go to good colleges or join the military. The process of criminal record expungement involves filing a civil lawsuit against agencies maintaining your criminal records. The lawsuit seeks to clear your record of the state criminal charges listed in the lawsuit. If the civil district court judge signs the expungement order, any agency which maintains your listed criminal record will be ordered to destroy it.
When Can a Criminal Record Be Expunged?
A criminal record can only be ordered expunged in a few situations, including:
- You were found not guilty at trial,
- a grand jury no bills (dismisses) your felony case,
- the prosecutor drops charges before going to trial,
- a judge dismissed your case before going to trial,
- your conviction was overturned on appeal, and
- your case was dismissed after successfully completing a Pretrial Diversion program.
Why Is Expungement Better than a Non-Disclosure?
Expungement is much better than non-disclosure (record sealing). When a judge orders a criminal record to be non-disclosed (i.e. sealed), that means that your criminal record will not be accessible by the general public, however the criminal charges still remain on your record. Expungement wipes those criminal records clean. That means that if the police pull you over for a driving violation, then they will not know about your prior criminal record and therefore will not treat you differently.
If you are being negatively affected by criminal records, your best option may be expungement. You can call the law offices of Jim Sullivan for a free consultation to discuss your criminal case and explain the legal process. Houston criminal defense attorney James Sullivan has over 25 years of experience practicing Texas criminal law as a defense lawyer. Sullivan will evaluate your case, and if you qualify for an expunction, Sullivan will fight hard to clear your good name.
A Pretrial Diversion program can also help keep your record clean. James Sullivan fights hard to make sure that participation in a pretrial diversion program is an option for almost all of his clients who are charged as first-time misdemeanor offenders and some felony offenders. When you successfully complete a diversion program, then your charges are dismissed and one or two years later you can file to have the charge expunged from your record.
James Sullivan graduated from Baylor University in 1990 with a degree in Journalism, the ideal degree for investigating, discovering and telling winning stories in court. In 1993, Sullivan graduated from South Texas College of Law, which is nationally recognized as the top law school for trial advocacy.
James Sullivan later graduated from Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College in Wyoming. Founded in 1994, it is the most selective and prestigious trial advocacy program in America. The methods taught at TLC are not taught anywhere else. The 1150 graduates form an extremely unique community of the most accomplished trial lawyers in the United States.
Sullivan has a proven record of defending people from all walks of life, faiths and countries in courts throughout Texas.
Contact Attorney James Sullivan
Houston expunction lawyer James Sullivan represents clients in criminal courts throughout the state of Texas. If you want to protect your legal rights and safeguard your future, call Sullivan at (281) 546-6428 for a confidential consultation.
