I got arrested 24 years ago and it still haunts me today, HELP?
Hi asked:
I live in Texas and had a felony conviction for theft (18 & stupid).I received 7 years probation, I asked our county clerk if it could be expunged, & she said that it cannot.
I am a law abiding citizen, land/ home owner and a taxpayer.
I cannot get a state license in many fields of work because of this record, real estate, pest control, insurance,locksmith, land surveyor just to name a few. Oh yeah, most trucking companies will not hire me either.
What can I do to clear this from my record?
It seems that society forgives us for the most part but the state paints a scarlet letter on you for life.
I live in Texas and had a felony conviction for theft (18 & stupid).I received 7 years probation, I asked our county clerk if it could be expunged, & she said that it cannot.
I am a law abiding citizen, land/ home owner and a taxpayer.
I cannot get a state license in many fields of work because of this record, real estate, pest control, insurance,locksmith, land surveyor just to name a few. Oh yeah, most trucking companies will not hire me either.
What can I do to clear this from my record?
It seems that society forgives us for the most part but the state paints a scarlet letter on you for life.
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Comments on I got arrested 24 years ago and it still haunts me today, HELP? »
sorry i have no idea
I don’t think you can. Sorry. I understand that you were young and stupid… but Thats what you get for doing stupid things. There are many people in the same boat as you. It’s too bad more kids don’t think about this stuff….. You were 18 so you were considered an adult.
If it cannot be expunged, then a pardon is the only way you can remove it from your record. I would suggest that you discuss this with an attorney.
This is one of the great injustices in American society. While the state is supposed to administer the punishment and when its done its done. But instead they let the punishment continue forever.
You didn’t receive 7 years probation, you received a lifetime of employment discrimination.
youre stuck with it for life.
But in UK if a conviction is more than 5 years old you can consider it `spent` and dont have to declare it, you must have something similar in the States?
I got into a fight in 1978 but I dont mention it to employers!
You need to go to a lawyer. If there are ways to get the record expunged a criminal defense attorney would be able to tell you how.
Don’t complain about the cost of a lawyer for this. You are talking the rest of you life and your earning power. Even if you have to pay $20,000, it would be cheap if it enables you to get a job that pays well.
Talk to a lawyer about the “Texas Non-Disclosure Law”, they do not expunge, but after 5 years they kind of seal the record.
I am not exactly sure how it works but it is all there is in Texas.
Good Luck