Houston Criminal Defense Lawyer. Call for a free consultation. However, most plea bargains require the accused to plead guilty in front of the judge, thereby admitting to a crime, in order to get the benefit of that plea bargain.
This might include deferred adjudication where the accused is not technically convicted of the crime but rather put on community supervision for a period of time ; regular probation where the accused is convicted of the crime and sentenced to some term in jail, but that sentence is suspended and the person is put on community supervision ; or jail time, which may or may not also include a fine and court costs.
The difficulty is that if a person is placed on deferred adjudication, and successfully completes that supervision, they cannot petition to have those records erased — they can only ask the Judge to sign an order requiring the records to be hidden from the general public. This is called Non-Disclosure. Even if non-disclosure is granted, state agencies and law enforcement will always be able to locate records of that arrest and prosecution. If you are a first time offender charged with a non-violent offense in Texas, you may qualify for a pre-trial intervention program.
This article has been viewed 10, times. Learn more The purpose of the program is to identify and educate first-time offenders. Pre-trial intervention is voluntary and no one can force you to participate.
The county will closely analyze your application to see if you are a good candidate. Once you successfully complete the program, the County Attorney will dismiss the charges against you. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy.
Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Related Articles. Part 1. For example, look for the following: [2] X Research source felony deferred adjudications adjudicated felony offenses as a juvenile prior felony convictions. Check your prior criminal history. You will be ineligible if you also have other criminal offenses as part of your criminal history. For example, you must meet the following requirements: [3] X Research source No criminal history involving offenses punishable by imprisonment within the past 10 years, regardless of disposition.
No adjudicated misdemeanor offense as a juvenile within the past three years. No adult criminal history involving any offense that is similar or the same as your current offense, regardless of disposition. Identify if your offense disqualifies you from the program. Some defendants cannot participate in pre-trial intervention based on their offense. For example, the following are disqualifying: [4] X Research source public indecency under Chapter 43 sexual offenses under Chapter 21 resisting arrest offense offense involving delivery of illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia DWI Driving While Intoxicated where you injure another person DWI with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.
Talk to a lawyer. A qualified criminal defense attorney will know all of the details about the pre-trail intervention program in Williamson County.
They can assess your situation and answer any questions. You can obtain a referral by contacting the Texas Bar Association. Make sure the lawyer practices criminal defense in Williamson County. Someone with expertise in divorces probably will not be much help. Part 2. All first time offenders are required to pay restitution to their victims as a condition of their participation in the program.
Entry into this program is solely at the discretion of the District Attorney. Offenders who are invited to participate in this program are advised that strict compliance with all program requirements must be achieved. Successful completion will normally lead to dismissal of all charges.
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