Q: But what do you mean deferred?
How cam i get it sealed? Does it matter ? What if the case is closed or happen in 2011?
A:
If a Family Violence case was resolved by Deferred Adjudication then no, you can't get it sealed, even if there was no affirmative finding of Family Violence. If you reported to a probation officer, it was almost certainly Deferred Adjudication. Cases resolved by successful completion of Deferred Adjudication are not not really "dismissed" in the usual sense of the word... more like the community supervision is terminated and the case is closed. In Family Violence cases, a Deferred Adjudication counts exactly the same as a conviction with regard to enhancements based on priors.
If the case was resolved pursuant to a conditional dismissal agreement that just happens to include the word "deferred" in the NAME of the agreement then you can probably get it expunged, which is better than sealed anyway.
A more detailed explanation of the "what do you mean deferred?" issue is posted here: http://www.pacefirm.com/faq/deferred.html
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