Dallas Expunction Attorney

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, over 100 million Americans have an arrest record on file within state repositories. That’s approximately one in three Americans with a criminal record for offenses ranging from minor misdemeanors to violent felonies that can be discoverable during a standard background check. A criminal record of any sort could hinder you during a range of necessary activities, such as renting an apartment, securing a job, or applying for a loan.

Everyone makes mistakes. Why should one mistake hold you back for the rest of your life?

The Dallas expunction/record clearing attorneys of the Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter know how detrimental a criminal record can be. For over 12 years, we have been advocating for clients with arrest records to help them clear their names and move forward with their lives. If you have been arrested, accused, or convicted of a crime, we may be able to help you expunge, or clean, your record. Call the Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter at (214) 845-7007 today for a free initial consultation to find out how our team can help.

What Is an Expunction?

criminal record expunction Put simply, an expunction gets you a clean slate.

In legal terms, an expunction is a process in which an individual with a criminal record can have their record cleared. This includes any part of a criminal proceeding, including the initial arrest, a formal charge, a court hearing or trial, deferral agreements, dismissal, etc.

After an expunction, the individual’s criminal record would not be discoverable on a background check or within public records. Furthermore, the individual would not need to report a criminal history when completing forms like job or loan applications because the record no longer exists.

How Could an Expunction Help Me?

A criminal record, even for something as minor as an arrest for public intoxication, can be a significant problem for many necessary activities. Even a dismissal or verdict of not guilty can show up in a background check and limit your ability to better yourself. Your criminal history could play a factor in the following circumstances:

Applying for a job: Many employers run background checks on applicants or ask applicants to disclose whether they have been convicted of a crime. Furthermore, certain occupations with licensure or certification requirements, such as jobs within the finance and transportation industries, are completely off-limits to individuals with a criminal history.
Applying for a loan: When applying for a home, car, or personal loan, a bank may run a background check to determine whether an applicant is trustworthy and dependable. If you have a criminal history, a bank may determine that you are too risky to lend to.
Pursuing educational opportunities: Colleges and universities utilize a variety of factors to select their students, and the best schools are highly selective. When deciding between two equally qualified applicants, their criminal history, or lack of one, could determine who gets admitted.
Family and home life: A criminal history can impact you in the privacy of your own home or in interactions with your own family. For example, you may be prevented from volunteering at your child’s school or worse, lose child custody or visitation privileges within divorce proceedings due to a criminal record.

Our team at the Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter understands the myriad of effects that a criminal history can have on your life. We have helped many clients remove the stigma of a criminal record and progress towards a better future.

Do I Qualify for an Expunction?

In the state of Texas, your case may qualify for an expunction in one of the following scenarios:

You were arrested but never formally charged or prosecuted.
Your case was dismissed.
You were found not guilty.
You pled guilty to a Class C misdemeanor (such as petty theft or public intoxication) but received a deferred adjudication, which you have completed.
You were found guilty but later pardoned.
You were a juvenile at the time of your offense, which was a violation of the Alcohol Beverage Control Code or Education code or a violation punishable by fine.
Your arrest or charge was a mistake (as in the case of identity theft).

criminal record expunction Even so, that does not mean you are automatically eligible for an expunction. The court will consider other factors as well, such as:

Whether you have been convicted of another crime within five years of the case in question.
Whether the statute of limitations has expired.
Whether you have completed the deferred adjudication.

If you do not meet the requirements for an expunction, you may still have options for protecting your reputation. For example, you could apply for non-disclosure of a criminal record. Non-disclosure will not clear your criminal record, but it will make it inaccessible to the public in many circumstances.

What Is the Process for an Expunction?

Like any legal process, the process for an expunction can be complicated and time-consuming. That’s why you should hire a lawyer. First, an experienced lawyer will know the laws related to expunctions and can advise whether your case qualifies. Second, a lawyer knows how to fill out and file the necessary paperwork to apply for an expunction. Legal paperwork can be very confusing. If you make a mistake, you may harm your chances of receiving an expunction.

Once the expunction is filed with the appropriate court, your lawyer will also serve those documents to all agencies that keep criminal records, such as the court clerk’s office, the District Attorney’s office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

There may or may not be a court hearing to receive an agreed order of expunction, but either way, a judge will need to sign off on the order. Then, all involved agencies will receive that order of expunction, informing them that they must destroy all records of your case.

It may take several weeks for all records to finally be destroyed. Your lawyer will make sure that happens. The entire process could take several weeks, several months, or up to a full year, depending on which county the case occurred in and how many agencies are involved.

Contact a Dallas Expunction Lawyer Today

Having an experienced, meticulous lawyer working on your behalf is crucial to successfully expunge a criminal record. The laws of expunction are complicated, and the process can be confusing and tedious. The Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter have been helping clients for over 12 years to clear their records, repair their reputations, and move on with their lives. Don’t let one small mistake hold you back. Contact our office today at (214) 845-7007 to start the process.

TESTIMONIALS

Recommendation for Mark LassiterI am pleased to write a letter of recommendation. I highly recommend Mark Lassiter to others who are seeking such assistance. His representation allowed me to do very little in my case. It was Mark’s proven expertise and his legal knowledge that was valuable in getting my case dismissed. In short, I recommend Mark enthusiastically without reservation and I do believe he would be a valuable asset to you.

- Name Redacted

dear Markplease accept this letter on my and Susan’s behalf. there is a powerful message and testimony we would like to share with you for the first time.for over a year the weight of what happened to Reid was heavy on our souls. at first we held great anger, resentment and disgust toward Angel (the passenger). it became evident after turning 21 the Angel has a severe alcohol problem which my son nor us fully understood. The arrest also brought us great disappointment, frustration and disheartenment toward Reid.We have found that God often surprises us with his answers to our prayers. Prior to the arrest was had been in prayer that God help turn Reid away from selfishness, childishness and destructive ways. We prayed that God move to change him toward everlasting values and better choices in his life. We believe that God answered that prayer with the arrest. We blamed ourselves for bringing this calamity but understood it would take something this powerful to reach him. There is no doubt in our minds this ordeal has placed a permanent imprint on his soul.during the many delays associated with this case we were able to put forgiveness in our hearts toward Angel. Also during the many delays the full weight of the case in our and Reid’s mind triggered conversations pertaining to life decisions and direction. Time allowed us the opportunity to be rid of the noise and cloudiness of our emotions. We believe this to be a part of the master plan that God was overseeing.Only today did the full story become revealed. During this case with all the odds against us can we say without question that God was in it. How else could the series of events occurred within the judicial process that could put the opportunity in to your mind that there was a way to victory. The entire morning Susan and i were in fervent prayer even after your told us we had only a 25% chance of winning.Grace is the receipt of a blessing that is undeserved. Reid did not deserve to win today. We all are eternally marked by the message of grace given to us and you were the instrument that brought the gift to our house. Thank you from bottom of our souls and may God bless and keep you all of your days.

- Name Redacted

Dear Mr. Lassiter,Today you saved my son’s life. When he received a DWI, it broke my heart because I knew it would be on his record forever. It would limit his options in life. He would be paying for his stupid mistake for the rest of his life. At 21 years of age he was overwhelmed with the depth of the problem he created for himself.I decided to find him the best lawyer in Dallas, and I did. I researched lawyers for two days, and then I found you. I knew from the moment I read about you that you were the one we needed. When I met you, I knew instantly that I had complete confidence in you. Even if the result had ended with my son being guilty, I would have had peace knowing that he had had THE BEST lawyer.Listening to you “own” the courtroom today was amazing. You told us in the morning that we only had about 25% chance to win; however, by the middle of the afternoon the case was over before the prosecutors even finished, and we won! What an incredible lawyer you are!I will be grateful forever to you. Your work has given my son a second chance. He left the courtroom today with a whole new perspective on life…thanks to you!Very sincerely,

- Susan Ellis

unless you are already a petty criminal with countless B and C misdemeanors and a misdemeanor A pending, a DWI charge might not really matter much – for all the others counts: Fight it with all you got – get the best professional to your side you can find!Why should you? A simple google search “Texas DWI penalties” will give you an idea what you are looking at: prison, probation, fines, classes, ignition interlock, insurance rate skyrockets and a criminal record for life (yes – this can happen even for a first time DWI in Texas) Now if you read until this point you probably are charged with a DWI (or simply board) and you are shopping for a lawyer – so some basic guidance:a) Same as in real life: You want to be surrounded by people who know what they are talking about. Nobody likes people who constantly brag around, through around the usual business buzz words which doesn’t mean anything. So: Get somebody who is specialized in this field, means if 50% or more of his work is in the field of defending DWI’s that’s probably a good indicator– Mark is one of them – talk to him you will see!b) Educate yourself – thanks to a wonderful innovation by DARPA (which you are using in this moment) you can read all about it: What happened the night before, what’s a SFT, what is a legal stop, how does an Intoxilyzer 5000 work and what flaws does it have, possible plea bargain options (not so tempting ones in TX anyway) – read the stuff, it’s out there and discuss it with your attorney – if he doesn’t want or can’t answer your questions, that’s a pretty good indicator that your sitting in the wrong office, run!– Mark WILL answer your questions – and I’m convinced you cannot surprise him with a question in your case that he can’t answer or will find an answer for you!c) Your lawyer should – more or less – from the beginning be willing to take your case to Trial, all the way. What do you have to lose? If you are a BAC 0.28 candidate and you plea it down to a misdemeanor B it technically looks better on paper – but it will still follow you for life (most employers wouldn’t even consider the difference or know it – a DWI is a DWI…) If you are a BAC 0.09 candidate your chances are even better – (did you know the Intoxilyzer 5000 gives himself a +-0.02 calibration margin? What now, is a BAC 0.09 and hour after driving now under the legal limit? Guess what, the state will state “off course NOT! The magic machine proved he’s Intoxicated and guilty!” That’s why you need a lawyer on your side who is willing to take it to trial!– Mark is a trial lawyer – those people don’t want to plea out, they need the courtroom as their stage, that’s what they love to do, that’s what they are good at – so let him do it for you!d) Money / Costs – completely neglect. This is not the time for price comparison. You are not out there to shop for new hardwood floor for your living room – you are out there to get the best possible outcome in a situation which initial will hurt you if convicted pretty bad (financially), possible cost you your job, destroy your reputation and will follow you around for the rest of your natural life.– Mark will not overcharge you for his service, in my opinion you are getting a great deal. If you have the feeling you cannot afford a lawyer like Mark put it into perspective: if you hire a $500 lawyer and plead guilty maybe to a DWI misdemeanor B, you will pay much more over the years in court costs, classes, probation fees, DPS surcharges, insurance and and and… But if you hire Mark, you have one of the best at your side, you have a real chance – off course Mark isn’t a magic wizard who can make everything go away in a moment’s notice, but 5,10,20 years down the road you don’t want to think “oh boy, I wish I would have fought this thing more aggressively back then…” I was already a bit into my case when I met Mark. Mark has a can do attitude, does not try to beat around the bush and most importantly: He looks at things, tries different avenues, seeks out weaknesses in the case base on the evidence presented – if you meet him, you will have the same experience. During our meetings we discussed alternatives and other options e.g. expert witnesses, jury trial, bench trial, plea agreement (even if he didn’t like that – Mark doesn’t want to plea, he wants to win for his clients)And here is the outcome:A clear acquittal – NOT GUILTY(even better than a dismissal which technically can be reopened by the DA within the statute of limitations – if I understood that right – Not guilty means you are not guilty, case expunged – that’s the end of it!)Mark’s services helped me to get the best possible outcome you can expect when you are charged with a (DWI / DUI) crime and I hope I will never see him again….. (under such circumstances J ) –

- Daniel

I would never use or recommend anyone else for anybody else for a criminal manner.

- Cory M.

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