Having a misdemeanor on your El Paso criminal record may be hindering you from moving on with your life by preventing you from passing background checks for employment and housing. The good news is that if you have remained a law-abiding since your misdemeanor conviction and have complied with all of the court’s requirements for eligibility, there is no need to be continually haunted by the record of your misdemeanor. El Paso offers various ways in which you can seal your misdemeanor from your criminal record.

What Type of Record Sealing is Correct for your Texas Criminal Record?

To best identify what type sealing is right for your misdemeanor conviction, it is important to understand the terms of your misdemeanor level.

In El Paso, there are three classes for misdemeanors as described by the Texas legislation (Class A, Class B, and Class C):

  • Class A misdemeanor: punishable by a fine not to exceed $4, 000 and confinement in jail for a term not to exceed 1 year.
  • Class B misdemeanor: punishable by a fine not to exceed $2, 000 and confinement in jail for a term not to exceed 180 days. An offense designated a misdemeanor.
  • Class C misdemeanor: punishable by a fine not to exceed $500. A class C misdemeanor does not impose any legal disadvantage or disability.

Class B and Class C misdemeanors that did not lead to a conviction or community supervision, as well as Class C misdemeanors that resulted in the successful completion of deferred adjudication may be eligible for an expungement, which is a type of record sealing in El Paso. You may also have the option to seal your El Paso misdemeanor if you have successfully completed your probation and if the judge decides that you have been properly rehabilitated since your conviction.

In El Paso, to be eligible for a misdemeanor record sealing, you must have successfully completed probation, cannot have served a state prison sentence, cannot be currently facing any other charges, must have completed all mandatory classes assigned by the court, and must have paid all fees owed to the court. The Texas Code of Criminal Procedure allows a judge to dismiss the case for a person who has successfully completed the terms of their probation. Once your conviction is set aside, you are no longer considered to have been convicted of the crime. For more free legal information, visit the State Bar of Texas website at http://www.co.bexar.tx.us/ or read some of our Texas record clearing overview.