Those who wish to clear their criminal records but who are not eligible for expunctions might be eligible for orders of non-disclosure. Under Texas law, a non-disclosure order can be obtained for an individual who successfully completed a Deferred Adjudication and received a discharge and dismissal. By obtaining an order of non-disclosure, your criminal record will be sealed. This will prohibit the disclosure of the record associated with your arrest, prosecution and deferred sentence by law enforcement agencies as a public record. Only government agencies will be allowed to access any information regarding your record.

If you wish to learn more about how to obtain an order of non-disclosure and the eligibility requirements as they pertain to your situation, I urge you to meet with me. I am a Georgetown criminal defense attorney who can review your situation, advise you on all of its legal aspects and help you get started in cases where it is appropriate. I serve clients throughout Williamson County.

ORDERS OF NON-DISCLOSURE

In order to be eligible for an order of non-disclosure, you might be subject to a waiting period based on the type of offense involved. You are required to not have convictions for other criminal offenses during the waiting period. Five-year waiting periods from the date of the dismissal apply for those who received Deferred Adjudications for misdemeanors involving weapons charges, domestic violence, assault charges, sexual offenses and others. In the case of felonies, there is generally a ten-year waiting period before one can apply for an order of non-disclosure. Certain felony offenses are completely ineligible for orders of non-disclosure, such as murder, child abandonment or endangerment, and more. To find out if you are eligible to have your criminal record sealed, you should consult with me at your earliest opportunity.