Deferred Adjudication is something that is offered to offenders for certain types of charges. It is essentially a type of probation that is offered to the person who has been accused of the crime. The idea behind it is that once the criteria is met for the deferred adjudication, the case will be dismissed. However, it is even more important to know how this works in terms of your criminal record. The last thing you want is to go through all of this trouble only to find out that the criminal charges are not going to be removed from your record.
What is the Process?
The entire idea of this type of probation rests on the fact that the instances will not show up on your criminal record, it can be a bit more complicated than that. However, it is not a process that will remove anything from your record, you must still seek a non-disclosure to have it removed from your record. Instead of the charge resulting in a conviction on your record, if this probation is completed as it is intended to be, then it will be dismissed and you will not have a conviction on your record.
Can it Remove Other Charges?
One important thing to keep in mind is that this is something that is only offered under certain circumstances. It is typically not offered to someone who already has a criminal record. Because of this, it is not something that can remove any previous charges from your record.
How to Get This Option
This can sound like a pretty great deal for first time offenders if they want to keep their record clean. However, it is not something that is offered all the time or automatically. If you are going to a jury trial, you do not even have this option available to you. If you are a first time offender, then you will want to hire an attorney who has experience with criminal adjudication. This gives you the best possibility to get deferred adjudication and thus prevent the charge from resulting in a final conviction to your record.
If you are facing any criminal charges, it’s important to have a good attorney on your side. Contact us at Gebhardt and Eppes, PLLC for more information and to see what we can do for you.
