Asked 4/19/2016 – Jasper, TX

In 2009, I had an incident at a convenience store where my kids father left our one-and-a-half-year-old son there by himself around 9 p.m. I went to the store and I was charged with child negligence behind him leaving child at store. I didn’t have money for a lawyer, and I plead guilty for this crime in 2010. Jasper County gave me deferred adjudication probation. I completed community service and deferred probation 8/6/12. It is now April 2016 and I cannot find a job, no one will hire me due to my background.. Like Walmart, Family Dollar, Taco Bell. I have 3 kids whom CPS never took from me, but I cannot find a job to support them! I also contacted different attorneys around the county and they say that I can not get a non-disclosure for this certain felony: it can never be expunged. Would someone please help me because I need to get a job to support my family. I just don’t understand why they would give a felony knowing that felons can’t get any kind of assistance or rent a house or apartment without these background checks coming up that I’m a felon. There just has to be something I can do.

Answer

If your case was dismissed via successful completion of deferred adjudication probation, you must wait 5 tears from the date of dismissal to file a petition for non-disclosure on any felony case. Certain cases are not eligible for non-disclosure, so contact a local attorney and have your paperwork reviewed.