Legal Question in Criminal Law in Texas
Theft under $50 citation in Houston, Texas and is my first (and last) offense. Do I plead not guilty or guilty when I go to my court date? Will it be on my record? If so, is there a way to drop the charges? I did steal but is there a way to avoid the ticket?
1 Answer from Attorneys
You really should hire a lawyer, because if you pay it, it's a conviction. A conviction for a crime of moral turpitude.
Many jurisdictions have a pretrial diversion program, where you complete community service, pay a fee, stay out of trouble, and the case is dismissed. You can then expunge it.
If not, there is still deferred disposition, which can also lead to dismissal and expunction.
You do not want this to remain on your record, since it will forever affect job applications, credit applications, rental applications, etc.
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