Everyone does stupid stuff when they're young. It's all part of growing up; some things you just have to learn the hard way. Fortunately, most of us are able to put those things behind us. However, if you were unlucky enough to be arrested, you may have a record that you're going to carry with you for the rest of your life. In some cases, even a ticket or citation can have consequences. The good news is, if you qualify, a good Waco expungement lawyer may be able to petition for expunction or an order of nondisclosure to seal your record.
And it's not just young people who make stupid mistakes. Just because you're older doesn't mean you don't do stuff you may regret.
You may want to put it behind you and not even think about it anymore; that's perfectly common. It's not until someone asks about it that you remember. By then, it's too late.
What will it feel like if this keeps you from getting your next job?There are other situations where those questions may arise that you would never think of.
Fortunately, there is a way to clear your record so this doesn't become a problem, and a Waco expungement lawyer, Walter Reaves, can help. If the charges against you were dismissed or not pursued, you may be eligible to expunge your record. If the charges were not dismissed, you may still qualify for a different type of relief, which is called an Order of Non-Disclosure.
If you want to know if you can seal your Texas arrest record, we have two resources to allow you to quickly find out.
If charges were dismissed or not filed, find out if you qualify for an expungement by going here and downloading our checklist.
We also have a checklist to determine if you are eligible for a non-disclosure, which you can download here.
Looking back, I was destined to become a criminal defense lawyer from the beginning. Long before I became a lawyer I had a desire to see that everyone is treated fairly and got upset over what I saw as injustice. I think that seed was first planted when I read about the way we treated other races, and the second class citizenship they had, and struggled to understand how anyone could condone that (something I still can't comprehend or understand). In my teenage years, I veered to the far left on social issues, which drove my conservative father crazy. I thought he was going to have a heart attack when I told him I wanted to work for the American Civil Liberties Union. I never did that, but around my second year in college, I realized that I wanted to go to law school so I would be able to fight for justice through the legal system.
I was fortunate to clerk for an older lawyer when I was in law school who did some criminal defense work. I quickly discovered that I loved this area of law; it gave me an opportunity to utilize my passion for justice. When I graduated from law school I didn't follow the traditional path of most criminal defense lawyers. That means I didn't go to work for a District Attorney's office; I couldn't see myself representing the State against the individual. Instead of going to the District Attorney's office, I opened my own office. My first trial was within a couple of months of being licensed. I represented a couple of skydivers who had been charged with criminal trespass after skydiving off a skyscraper. Not only did I win the case, I was mentioned in a magazine article about the case. I was hooked, and slowly started handling criminal cases, and that soon was my primary practice area. I became Board Certified in Criminal Law as soon as I could, which was after I had been in practice for 5 years. When it became available, I also became certified in Criminal Appellate law.
It's now been over 35 years; over those years I have had the privilege of helping hundreds of people who have been accused of crimes. In doing so, I’ve developed a statewide reputation by working with organizations across the State, as well as writing and speaking at continuing legal education programs. I am also one of the few lawyers in Texas with membership in the Academy of Forensic Sciences, which allows me to stay up to date on the ways science is being used in the criminal justice system.
In addition to Board certified, I also have the highest rating given by the two national ranking systems, Martindale-Hubbell, and Avvo, and in the case of the 5.0 AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, have maintained that ranking for over 20 years.
If you are interested in an expunction or an order of non-disclosure and you'd like to find out if you qualify, fill out the contact form below or call 254-296-0020 to speak with our Waco expungement lawyer for more information.
