Texas Pardon/Expungement Process

The State of Texas offers a Governor’s pardon through the Board of Probation and Parole. The petitioner must submit a written request for an application. Once the application is completed by the petitioner, it must be sent to the Board along with three letters of recommendation and information on all arrests and convictions.
There are four (4) types of pardons available within the state of Texas: full, conditional, pardon for innocence, and posthumous.  A full pardon is available to a person who has been convicted of a felony, misdemeanor, or traffic offence, or has completed deferred adjudication community supervision. A full pardon restores citizenship rights, with exception to some eligibility for certain types of jobs. A person who has obtained a full pardon is eligible for expungement upon application. THIS IS NOT AUTOMATIC.

A conditional pardon is one in which the governor forgives the crime and absolves you from punishment, however citizenship rights are not restored and the governor may revoke the pardon if the conditions are not met. Another type of pardon offered in Texas is the Pardon for Innocence. This is when a person is exonerated and the crime is erased based on evidence and court determination. The final type of pardon offered in Texas is the posthumous pardon. This is a pardon in which the governor grants a pardon to someone after his or her death. This pardon is applied for by a person acting on behalf of the deceased person who was convicted.

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