Keeping a Drug Conviction Off Your Criminal Record

Trusted Denton County Criminal Defense Attorneys

Drug cases and charges in Denton County are serious. A conviction on one's criminal record stays on that record for the rest of your life,. The consequences can be so grave it can affect earning power, the ability to get an apartment, a job, or even a bank account. If there is a way to beat your Denton County drug / controlled substance arrest, we will find that way. However, this is not always possible. If the state can prove the case against you and the evidence backs the crime, you will be convicted. The goal is to keep the conviction off your record and set up a scheme where the arrest, charge, and all details can be sealed.

How can I keep a conviction off my record?

There are several possible ways to keep a conviction off of your record. Each case is different.

Although deferred adjudication and deferred disposition are often incorrectly used inter-changeable, they are quite different and each has very distinct benefits and drawbacks.

Deferred adjudication is a sentencing alternative to an outright pleading of 'guilty' that can allow a defendant to avoid a conviction. Typically the defendant enters a plea of guilty or nolo contendre (no contest) in open court, where the plea is heard by the court, but not entered into the official court record. Instead, deferred adjudication allows the judge to postpone or defer any finding of guilt for a set period of time. During this period, the defendant will be placed under community supervision, which is essentially Texas probation. At the end of the set period, often six months or one to two years, and if the defendant has successfully completed the community supervision, the judge will enter no finding of guilt, and the defendant will have avoided any conviction by having the case dismissed.

Conversely, deferred prosecution, also known as pretrial diversion, is essentially the same setup as adjudication, except that the defendant does not announce a plea of guilty or no contest in open court. Instead, the defendant is given a set of goals to meet during a short period of time. If no new arrest follow, and the defendant meets the pre-set goals, the case is dismissed by the prosecutors.

Call on our team at the Law Offices of Tim Powers!

At the Law Offices of Tim Powers, we are ready to help you defend your rights and safeguard your future by keeping a conviction off of your record. We offer free case consultations to discuss your situation and explain how we intend to help you.