Will this charge be visible to potential employers conducting a background check?
Shortly after I turned 18 in 2002, a friend and I were caught buying alcohol from a store clerk who didn’t card us (stupid of us, I know!) and were given deferred adjudication. This involved community service, alcohol awareness class, and not being apprehended for ANY other violations for 3 months, including traffic stops. We both completed the terms of the deferred adjudication.
My question is, will this show on my criminal record? Most jobs now ask you if you’ve even received deferred adjudication.
I’ve been told that it’ll be sealed/expunged after five years, but I’m not sure of the truth to that. Every time I call the courthouse that dealt with my case, they’re very curt and they completely blow me off without giving me answers. I live very far away from the town where it happened, so it’s not like I can just drop by the courthouse and make sure of what’s going on.
I’m in Texas, if this helps.
In order to qualify for deferred adjudication, you had to plead guilty or no contest, which can appear on your record the same as a conviction if the charges were not dropped after completion of the agreed-upon conditions. Did you have a lawyer at the time? Call up that lawyer to find out about sealing the record after five years for a misdemeanor or ten years for a felony (as I understand it, this doesn’t happen automatically, you have to petition for it). Currently, deferred adjudications are not eligible for expungement, so they can still be seen by state agencies and exempt entities. You will need legal help in getting this cleared up. If you can’t afford to pay a lawyer, try your local Legal Aid.