Having a criminal record can affect your life drastically. A record can have financial repercussions that cause irreversible damage your future — from maintaining employment to ongoing education opportunities. Most employers require criminal background checks. The Texas Attorney General takes criminal records into consideration for custody agreements. And, subsequent criminal charges usually result in harsher penalties for repeat offenders.
Sometimes we make mistakes or make a quick decision without weighing the consequences. In some cases, it might be worthwhile for you to explore options to remove a criminal charge from your record altogether. If you need help getting your record cleared, an attorney may be able to help with that process – including marijuana charges. Who knew?
Shawn McDonald from SMB Criminal Defense Lawyers in Sugar Land, TX, shares in a recent video that you can get a marijuana possession charge successfully removed from your record. And, it’s not as difficult as it may sound. Of course, expunging a marijuana charge depends on what you were charged with and the details of your case. But, generally speaking, the District Attorney’s office is very agreeable in small marijuana charges, and McDonald states that it’s just a matter of taking the right steps to get your case dismissed.
Well, how can you be sure if it’s actually removed? McDonald advises to hire an experienced lawyer to address the case and who will serve every agency involved. If you follow those protocols, McDonald says that, “99 percent of the time, you can get it completely wiped off.”
Although the justice system and the enforcers of that system assume the general public know the in’s and out’s of marijuana laws, that’s not always true. With laws changing and misinformation spreading, you need to equip yourself with what your rights are. If you like like to learn more, watch our video series on marijuana laws.