Assault, Theft, Alcohol & Drug Tickets

More Serious Types Of Tickets

Many people don’t realize that there are many different types of tickets that can be issued against a person.  Traffic tickets are obviously the most common type of citation that can be issued by a police officer.  However, that isn’t the only type of ticket that can be issued.  This page is dedicated to helping people understand the different types of tickets that can be issued and how important it is to fight to protect your permanent criminal record once a more serious class “c” misdemeanor offense has been committed.

Class “C” Misdemeanors In Texas

Municipal and justice courts across Texas only have jurisdiction over class “c” misdemeanors.  These types of criminal offenses are considered the lowest of all crimes that can be committed in Texas.  If you were issued a ticket for an offense in Texas and the case was filed in a municipal court or a justice of the peace court, then you are dealing with a class “c” misdemeanor case.

However, the fact that they are class “c” misdemeanors should not take away from just how seriously they can impact a person’s life if they are found guilty of the crime.  Many of these crimes can cause serious problems for a person.  For example, some class “c” misdemeanors can take away a person’s right to carry a firearm.  Other class “c” misdemeanors can cause the loss of a job or the ability to apply for certain job opportunities.  Cases like this can impact a person’s ability to live in certain areas.  A person can be denied housing based on certain charges.  All of these issues are serious in nature, which is why you should defend your record from any type of conviction.

Assault Tickets In Texas

Out of all the types of class “c” misdemeanors that can be filed in municipal and justice courts in Texas, assault tickets are widely considered the most serious.  The reason why assault cases are considered the most serious is mainly due to the Texas Legislature’s continual enhancement of the law and the penalties associated with assaults.

For example, in Texas if a person is charged with assault family violence, they the legislature requires that the person’s finger prints must be taken and kept on file with the court.  If the person is convicted of the crime, then these records are sent to all the applicable state and federal agencies to restrict many of the person’s constitutional rights.  The main right impacted is the ability to purchase and register a firearm.  Other issues related to an assault family violence case is the ability for apartments and other housing authorities to use the conviction against a person to deny their applications or leases to live in certain areas.  For more information regarding assault tickets in Texas click here.

Theft Tickets In Texas

Theft tickets can have a serious impact in much the same way as assault tickets.  These tickets are considered a crime of moral turpitude.  This category of crimes are considered fraudulent, deceitful, or harmful to another person.  They are the types of crimes that many across the State of Texas say or not able to be rehabilitated.  Therefore, these types of crimes can be used for many different purposes to restrict a person.

For example, theft cases are now currently being used against a person who has a pending immigration status within the country.  Convictions for theft tickets can be used against that person to deny their immigration requests.  This means that if you intend to become a citizen of the United States, you better not have a conviction for theft on your record, even if it is just a ticket.

Theft cases are also commonly used by employers to determine employment.  If a person has been convicted of theft, we have seen those same people be denied employment or fired from their current job for the conviction.  The thought process of employers is that if they knowingly hire a person with a theft conviction on their record and that person then steals from a customer, then they will be held liable for knowing about the person’s propensity to steal and did nothing about it.  For more information about theft tickets in Texas click here.

Public Intoxication Tickets In Texas

Public intoxication tickets become complicated due to the fact that most tickets issued for this crime are also accompanied by the arrest of the person.  When this occurs there are records of the crime in two different departments.  You have the court records and you also have the arrest records.  If your case is dismissed in the court, this dismissal will not seal or destroy the records associated with the arrest.

The fact that an arrest record almost always accompanies the charge of public intoxication means you have to have a very specific legal strategy to have the charge dismissed and the arrest record destroyed.  For more information regarding public intoxication charges in Texas click here.

Drug Paraphernalia Tickets In Texas

Drug paraphernalia tickets are complex in Texas because of the way they are coded in the system once they become convictions.  In Texas the courts do not distinguish between different types of drug paraphernalia.  For example, we all know that there is a difference between rolling papers and heroin needles.  However, when a conviction on the record of a person for drug paraphernalia appears, there is no description of the paraphernalia itself.  So the paraphernalia could be for meth, heroin, coke or just for marijuana.

This lack of description for the paraphernalia itself makes it difficult for employers to discern what type of person you are.  In many instances, an employer could decide to simply think the worst and choose not to hire you based on the conviction for drug paraphernalia alone.  This is why it important to contest the charge and avoid the conviction altogether if possible.  For more information on drug paraphernalia tickets in Texas click here.

Deferred Adjudication In Texas

In most of these cases, the charge will simply not disappear.  You should not expect your lawyer to walk into court and waive their magic wand over your case and have it dismissed.  Many times dismissal will be negotiated where a client must complete certain conditions for the court first.  Once those conditions are completed then, the case will be dismissed.  This type of agreement is normally referred to as a deferral agreement.  For more information on deferral agreements in Texas click here.

Destroying Arrest Records In Texas

If an arrest occurred as a result of any of the charges listed on this page, you need to understand that dismissal of the case in court will not destroy the records associated with arrest.  You will have to take an extra step to have the arrest records destroyed.  This step requires that you file a motion with the court to expunge those records.  An expungement is just a fancy word to describe the destruction of the records.  If you were arrested and need to discuss how to destroy the records associated with your ticket, we suggest you call our legal professionals to review your case and whether or not you will be eligible.  For more information regarding expunctions in Texas click here.