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What is wrong with Deferred Adjudication for family violence cases?

Family Violence Deferred Adjudication is better than straight probation in most criminal cases because it is not a conviction and your criminal history can be partially sealed if an order of non-disclosure is granted after you successfully complete the probationary period. Non-disclosure also allows you to legally deny an arrest on employment applications.

Unfortunately, the non-disclosure law specifically excludes anyone ever convicted of or placed on deferred adjudication probation for a case involving family violence. In other words, entering into a plea bargain agreement for deferred adjudication will make you permanently ineligible for non-disclosure in the future, even for unrelated charges.

In addition, deferred adjudication is treated like a conviction for some purposes, such as federal firearms prohibitions and enhancement of future family violence charges. Thus, for family violence cases, deferred adjudication probation has many of the same consequences as straight probation.

That said, you should not automatically reject a plea bargain offer just because it includes the word “deferred.” There are pretrial diversion programs that are sometimes offered in certain Austin courts that are called Deferred Prosecution and Deferred Disposition. Successful completion of pretrial diversion usually results in a complete dismissal and makes it possible to obtain an Expunction. Expunction is even better than non-disclosure because it completely removes a case from your criminal history and causes all records of the arrest and prosecution to be deleted and destroyed.

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Why should you hire AZ Law Firm?

Whether you are dealing with a family law crisis, an immigration deportation hearing, a real estate issue, facing a felony or misdemeanor conviction, or really anything in between, we have an attorney that is passionate and ready to take on your case. When hiring attorneys to work here, we make sure that they pick the area of law that they are most passionate and experienced to work in and limit them to just those areas. We also make sure that they exemplify our core values: excellent communication, compassionate care, and honorable treatment.

Unfortunately, attorney have a horrendous reputation with client satisfaction and for good reason. It may shock you to know that the number one reason attorneys get disbarred from practicing law is that they fail to adequately communicate with their clients. We aim to change that completely around and promise that you will never be left in the dark. With so much on the line, it is vital that you hire a passionate, knowledgeable, communicative, and caring attorney to actively fight for your rights. At AZ Law Firm, we are committed to doing just that.

We understand times are tough and that there probably hasn’t been a tougher time in your life. Although we could get away with charging exuberant amounts, we prefer not to as we are a law firm by the people, for the people. We do not want you to worry about whether you can afford to hire an attorney to protect and defend your rights. Call us and be surprised at the quality you receive compared to what other law firms will quote you!

Accordingly, the attorneys at AZ Law Firm will always provide you with a free initial consultation. During this initial consultation, one of our attorneys will evaluate your case, inform you of any legal options that may be available, and allow you to ask any questions that you may have. AZ Law Firm offers affordable rates for all our clients and will work with you on payment plans. Our firm accepts checks, debit cards, and most major credit cards to cover the costs of your legal representation.

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