The Long-Term Effects Of A Criminal Record And How To Protect It
Everyone makes mistakes in life. When those mistakes result in criminal charges, that mistake can haunt you for the rest of your life in the form of a criminal record. Our Austin criminal defense attorneys at Hildreth & Rueda care about protecting your criminal record. They defend clients in Travis County, Bastrop County and Williamson County and throughout Central Texas who are facing criminal charges and accusations in criminal court. If you have been charged with a DWI, are facing drug crimes or assault charges, or are accused of a theft, our criminal defense lawyers will fight for your freedom and your rights and work to protect you from a criminal record.
What Does It Mean To Have A Criminal Record In Texas?
Anyone in the state of Texas who has been convicted of a crime will have that information record as part of their criminal record or criminal history. Criminal records and history is public information. Anyone can search the Texas Department of Public Safety’s criminal database through their Crime Records Division public website. With just a name, anyone can look to see if you have a criminal history or conviction.
How Does A Criminal Record Affect Your Future?
The immediate consequences of any crime can include penalties like fines and jail time that obviously impact on your immediate future. But there are lasting consequences that aren’t as obvious that continue to lurk long after you’ve paid your debt to society. A criminal history can affect:
- Your reputation and relationships
- Your scholarship or educational opportunities
- Your ability to obtain state licensing and certification for certain professions
- Your future employment opportunities
- Your ability to obtain housing
If anyone can search for your criminal record, a potential employer or landlord will have access to your details when you submit applications for housing or jobs. Depending on the crimes you were accused and convicted of, you can also face problems with child custody and visitation. If you were convicted of a DWI, your driving rights and privileges may be suspended. If you were convicted of a felony, you may lose your right to vote.
Protecting Your Criminal Record In Texas
The best way to protect yourself from a criminal record and lasting criminal history in Texas is to hire an experienced defense attorney to help you fight the charges against you. Our criminal defense lawyers at Hildreth & Rueda regularly represent college students at the University of Texas at Austin and other colleges who are worried that a mistake will cost them their future. Our attorneys will work with prosecutors to seek pretrial diversion options or available deferred adjudication options. They will fight for your freedom and your rights … and fight to preserve your clean criminal history. If you already have a criminal history and are looking for expungement lawyers, our attorneys also handle expunctions in Texas.
Worried About Your Criminal History? Call Now.
Our firm offers a free consultation appointment so that we can better understand the facts of your case and answer your questions. Call us today at 512-415-7648 or send us an email through our website to book your free appointment.