Chappell, Lanehart & Stangl is pleased to report a successful expunction on behalf of a recent client and college student. Following the filing and granting of a Petition for Expunction, all records subject to the court’s order have been sealed and destroyed as required by law. The client’s arrest record, associated court documents, and all third-party disseminations—including online mugshot repositories and criminal background databases—have been removed from public access.

Expunction Under Texas Law

Texas law provides one of the most comprehensive expunction remedies available in the United States. Under Chapter 55 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, a person who meets the statutory eligibility criteria may petition the district court to expunge all records and files relating to an arrest. Upon the granting of such an order, the following legal consequences take effect:

• All law enforcement agencies, courts, and prosecutorial offices are required to return or destroy records pertaining to the arrest.

• Consumer reporting agencies and online databases that received official notice of the expunction order are required to remove all associated records.

• The petitioner is legally entitled to deny the arrest ever occurred in most civil, employment, and licensing proceedings.

• State agencies are prohibited from releasing expunged records to the public or to employers conducting background checks.

Eligibility Criteria

Expunction eligibility in Texas is governed by strict statutory criteria. Common grounds for eligibility include, but are not limited to, the following:

Outcome Achieved for Client

Read the following testimonial and unedited endorsement from our client.

All the mugshot and other things are officially off the internet.  SO very glad that my work stuff and my dissertation are back in my own Google search results.

I just wanted to say thank you! 

Contact Our Office

If you or someone you know may qualify for an expunction or an order of nondisclosure under Texas law, we encourage you to contact our office for a confidential consultation. Our attorneys have extensive experience navigating the expunction process and are committed to protecting the rights and reputations of our clients.