Sealing Juvenile Records in Harris County
Houston Juvenile Law Attorney
The State of Texas allows the sealing of most juvenile criminal records. Having these records sealed by an attorney ensures your or your child’s juvenile record doesn’t show up on criminal background checks. Criminal justice agencies, the military (with permission of the juvenile) and DFPS for certain background checks can access juvenile records. If a juvenile later breaks the law as an adult and his juvenile record has not been sealed, then the DA’s office will not treat him or her as a first offender and may not eligible for certain pretrial diversion programs.
Attorney James Sullivan is a Juvenile Law expert. Sullivan has practiced juvenile law since 1994 and has been Board Certified in Juvenile Law since 2004. Call Sullivan at (281) 546-6428 to discuss the sealing of your child’s juvenile records.
Unlike adult non-disclosure (record sealing) cases, a juvenile is not required to complete a deferred adjudication probation to be able to get their records sealed. Even if a juvenile is convicted of a crime, a juvenile’s delinquent record can be sealed as long as he or she:
- did not receive a determinate sentence (which may have been determinate probation or a determinate sentence to the TJJD);
- is not currently registered as a sex offender; or
- was not certified to be tried as an adult.
Juveniles can get felony records sealed at age 18 as long as they have no adult felony convictions and no pending adult charges (felony or jailable misdemeanor) and misdemeanor records sealed two years after the end of probation or age 18 whichever comes first.
If a juvenile successfully completes a deferred prosecution (a form of pretrial diversion), the juvenile can get his records sealed as soon as he successfully completes the deferred prosecution (usually 6 months).
Contact James G. Sullivan and Associates | Houston Juvenile Record Sealing Lawyers
Juveniles have their entire lives ahead of them, so do not let one mistake as a teenager potentially ruin your child’s future. Contact Houston Juvenile Law Attorney James Sullivan at (281) 546-6428 to have him draft and file a petition to seal your juvenile’s records.
