Can someone who knows about law, or legal matters please explain what this means?
4. Do juvenile records “go away” when a child turns 18, and can these records be sealed?
Chapter 58 of the Texas Family Code orders that juvenile records be kept confidential. These records may be kept for the use of law enforcement officials and will be used against the child if he/she continues to get in trouble, but they will not be accessible through public background checks (such as for credit or job applications). Some offenses must also be reported to the child’s school for the protection of other students. Juvenile records can be sealed. Through an attorney, a juvenile may petition the court to have this happen. Please consult an attorney about your specific case and whether your child’s records can be sealed.
***If Chapter 58 of the Texas Family Code keeps the records confidential, then why would someone go to the trouble of having the records sealed? What’s the difference?
To elaborate on what the person above me said, if you get into trouble when you are an adult, a court can order the sealed record to be admissible in court if it can shed some light or pertains to your current case… for example, if you stole a car when you were a juvenile and you are being charged with stealing another car, a judge can order the sealed record to be used as “evidence”