Dallas, TX asked in Criminal Law for Texas

Q: If I pay the fine for a Misdemeanor C, will I still have this record appearing on background check for employment?

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2 Lawyer Answers
Grant St Julian III
Grant St Julian III
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Dallas, TX
  • Licensed in Texas

A: Paying the fine will cause a final conviction to be entered on your record, which can never be removed. Contact the court about options to avoid a conviction. Or call an attorney in the area where the matter is pending. Good luck.

Kiele Linroth Pace agrees with this answer

Kiele Linroth Pace
Kiele Linroth Pace
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Austin, TX
  • Licensed in Texas

A: You are better off trying to get the case resolved in some other way that does not result in a conviction. Hiring a local criminal defense attorney will go a long way toward maximizing your chances of something other than a conviction.

Depending on the offense and your criminal history, you might eventually become eligible to seal the record with an order of nondisclosure, but by the time you pay for the attorney fees and filing fees on the non-disclosure you might have spent a lot more than it will cost to hire an attorney now. Also, the Texas Legislature has a habit of changing the rules of nondisclosure in almost every session, so there is a good chance the nondisclosure rules will change again before you become eligible.

If the case is dismissed then expunction is a possibility, and that is a better result than nondisclosure.

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