The Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP), a joint initiative of the Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, will hold a free Expunction Clinic for Dallas County residents who meet certain financial guidelines on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 4 p.m. at the West Dallas Multi-Purpose Community Center (2828 Fish Trap Rd., Dallas, TX 75212).
What is Expunction?
Texas law allows individuals to permanently remove information about an arrest, charge or conviction from their permanent records in certain circumstances. This is called an expunction. Once a person’s record is expunged, all information is removed from the criminal record and that person can deny the incident ever occurred. Records eligible for expunction include an arrest for a crime that was never charged; a criminal charge that was ultimately dismissed; certain qualifying misdemeanor juvenile offenses; conviction of a minor for certain alcohol offenses; conviction for Failure to Attend School; arrest, charge or conviction on a person’s record due to identity theft by another individual that was actually arrested, charged or convicted of the crime; conviction for a crime that was later acquitted by the trial court or the Criminal Court of Appeals; and conviction for a crime that was later pardoned by the Governor of Texas or the US President.
Not all individuals with records eligible for expunction above qualify to receive an expunction. If a person does not qualify for an expunction, they may qualify for a Non-Disclosure Order. This order does not completely destroy all record of the offense, but will limit the accessibility of the records.
Volunteer attorneys will provide free legal assistance for low-income Dallas County residents to assist with expunction and non-disclosure orders.
Expunction Clinics are held monthly, every third Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. If residents need assistance before or after the Expunction Clinic, they can attend one of the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program’s other legal clinics held in the Dallas area several times each month. For a full listing of the clinic, log on to http://dallasvolunteerattorneyprogram.org/get-help/.
