TÍTULO 1. CÓDIGO DE PROCEDIMIENTO PENAL

CAPÍTULO 55. EXTINCIÓN DE LOS ANTECEDENTES PENALES

Art. 55.01. DERECHO A LA CANCELACIÓN. (a) Una persona que ha sido sometida a un arresto con o sin custodia por la comisión de un delito grave o un delito menor tiene derecho a que se borren todos los registros y archivos relacionados con el arresto si
(1) la persona es juzgada por el delito por el que fue detenida y es
(A) es absuelta por el tribunal de primera instancia, salvo lo dispuesto en la subsección (c) de esta sección; o
(B) condenada y posteriormente indultada; o
(2) existe cada una de las siguientes condiciones
(A) que no se haya presentado una acusación o información que impute a la persona la comisión de un delito grave por un delito derivado de la transacción por la que la persona fue detenida o, si se presentó una acusación o información que impute a la persona la comisión de un delito grave, la acusación o información ha sido desestimada o anulada, y
(i) el plazo de prescripción haya expirado antes de la fecha en la que se haya presentado una petición de caducidad en virtud del artículo 55.02; o
(ii) el tribunal encuentra que la acusación o información fue desestimada o anulada porque la persona completó un programa de intervención previa al juicio autorizado en virtud de la sección 76.011, Código de Gobierno, o porque la presentación se había hecho debido a un error, información falsa, u otra razón similar que indica la ausencia de causa probable en el momento de la desestimación para creer que la persona cometió el delito o porque era nulo;
(B) la persona ha sido liberada y la acusación, en su caso, no ha dado lugar a una condena definitiva y ya no está pendiente y no hubo supervisión comunitaria ordenada por el tribunal en virtud del artículo 42.12 por cualquier delito que no sea un delito menor de clase C; y
(C) la persona no ha sido condenada por un delito grave en los cinco años anteriores a la fecha de la detención.
(a-1) No obstante la subsección (a)(2)(C), la condena de una persona por un delito grave en los cinco años anteriores a la fecha de la detención no afecta el derecho de la persona a la expiración a efectos de una petición ex parte presentada en nombre de la persona por el director del Departamento de Seguridad Pública en virtud de la sección 2(e), artículo 55.02.
(b) Salvo lo dispuesto en la subsección (c) de esta sección, un tribunal de distrito puede borrar todos los registros y archivos relacionados con la detención de una persona que ha sido detenida por la comisión de un delito grave o un delito menor en virtud del procedimiento establecido en el artículo 55.02 de este código si la persona es
(1) juzgada por el delito por el que fue detenida;
(2) condenada por el delito; y
(3) absuelto por el tribunal de apelaciones penales.
(c) Un tribunal no puede ordenar la expurgación de los registros y archivos relacionados con un arresto por un delito por el cual una persona es posteriormente absuelta, ya sea por el tribunal de primera instancia o el tribunal de apelaciones penales, si el delito por el cual la persona fue absuelta surgió de un episodio criminal, como se define en la Sección 3.01, Código Penal, y la persona fue condenada o sigue siendo objeto de enjuiciamiento por al menos otro delito ocurrido durante el episodio criminal.
(d) Una persona tiene derecho a que se borre cualquier información que la identifique, incluyendo su nombre, dirección, fecha de nacimiento, número de licencia de conducir y número de seguridad social, contenida en los registros y archivos relacionados con el arresto de otra persona si
(1) la información que identifica a la persona que hace valer el derecho a la expurgación fue dada falsamente por la persona arrestada como información de identificación de la persona arrestada sin el consentimiento de la persona que hace valer el derecho; y
(2) la única razón por la que la información que identifica a la persona que hace valer el derecho está contenida en los registros y archivos de la persona detenida es que la información fue proporcionada falsamente por la persona detenida como información de identificación de la persona detenida.

Art. 55.011. DERECHO DE UN PARIENTE CERCANO A SOLICITAR LA EXENCIÓN EN NOMBRE DE UNA PERSONA FALLECIDA. (a) En este artículo, "pariente cercano de una persona fallecida" significa el abuelo, el padre, el cónyuge o el hermano, la hermana o el hijo adulto de una persona fallecida.
(b) Un pariente cercano de una persona fallecida que, si no hubiera fallecido, tendría derecho a la expugnación de registros y archivos en virtud del artículo 55.01 puede presentar en nombre de la persona fallecida una petición ex parte de expugnación en virtud de la sección 2 o 2a, artículo 55.02. Si el tribunal considera que la persona fallecida tendría derecho a la cancelación de cualquier registro o archivo que sea objeto de la petición, el tribunal dictará una orden de cancelación.

Art. 55.02. PROCEDURE FOR EXPUNCTION.
Sec. 1. At the request of the defendant and after notice to the state, the trial court presiding over the case in which the defendant was acquitted, if the trial court is a district court, or a district court in the county in which the trial court is located shall enter an order of expunction for a person entitled to expunction under article 55.01(a)(1)(a) not later than the 30th day after the date of the acquittal. Upon acquittal, the trial court shall advise the defendant of the right to expunction. The defendant shall provide to the district court all of the information required in a petition for expunction under Section 2(b). The attorney for the defendant in the case in which the defendant was acquitted, if the defendant was represented by counsel, or the attorney for the state, if the defendant was not represented by counsel, shall prepare the order for the court’s signature.
Sec. 2. (a) A person who is entitled to expunction of records and files under Article 55.01(a) or a person who is eligible for expunction of records and files under Article 55.01(b) may file an ex parte petition for expunction in a district court for the county in which:
(1)  the petitioner was arrested; or
(2)  the offense was alleged to have occurred.
(b)  The petition must be verified and shall include the following or an explanation for why one or more of the following is not included:
(1)  the petitioner’s:
(A)  full name;
(B)  sex;
(C)  race;
(D)  date of birth;
(E)  driver’s license number;
(F)  social security number; and
(G)  address at the time of the arrest;
(2)  the offense charged against the petitioner;
(3)  the date the offense charged against the petitioner was alleged to have been committed;
(4)  the date the petitioner was arrested;
(5)  the name of the county where the petitioner was arrested and if the arrest occurred in a municipality, the name of the municipality;
(6)  the name of the agency that arrested the petitioner;
(7)  the case number and court of offense; and
(8)  a list of all:
(A) law enforcement agencies, jails or other detention facilities, magistrates, courts, prosecuting attorneys, correctional facilities, central state depositories of criminal records, and other officials or agencies or other entities of this state or of any political subdivision of this state;
(B) central federal depositories of criminal records that the petitioner has reason to believe have records or files that are subject to expunction; and
(C)  private entities that compile and disseminate for compensation criminal history record information that the petitioner has reason to believe have information related to records or files that are subject to expunction.
(c)  The court shall set a hearing on the matter no sooner than thirty days from the filing of the petition and shall give to each official or agency or other governmental entity named in the petition reasonable notice of the hearing by:
(1)  certified mail, return receipt requested; or
(2)  secure electronic mail, electronic transmission, or facsimile transmission.
(c-1)  An entity described by Subsection (c) may be represented by the attorney responsible for providing the entity with legal representation in other matters.
(d)  If the court finds that the petitioner, or a person for whom an ex parte petition is filed under Subsection (e), is entitled to expunction of any records and files that are the subject of the petition, it shall enter an order directing expunction.
(e)  The director of the Department of Public Safety or the director’s authorized representative may file on behalf of a person described by Subsection (a) of this section or by Section 2a an ex parte petition for expunction in a district court for the county in which:
(1)  the person was arrested; or
(2)  the offense was alleged to have occurred.
(f)  An ex parte petition filed under Subsection (e) must be verified and must include the following or an explanation for why one or more of the following is not included:
(1)  the person’s:
(A)  full name;
(B)  sex;
(C)  race;
(D)  date of birth;
(E)  driver’s license number;
(F)  social security number; and
(G)  address at the time of the arrest;
(2)  the offense charged against the person;
(3)  the date the offense charged against the person was alleged to have been committed;
(4)  the date the person was arrested;
(5)  the name of the county where the person was arrested and if the arrest occurred in a municipality, the name of the municipality;
(6)  the name of the agency that arrested the person;
(7)  the case number and court of offense; and
(8)  a list of all:
(A) law enforcement agencies, jails or other detention facilities, magistrates, courts, prosecuting attorneys, correctional facilities, central state depositories of criminal records, and other officials or agencies or other entities of this state or of any political subdivision of this state;
(B) central federal depositories of criminal records that the person has reason to believe have records or files that are subject to expunction; and
(C)  private entities that compile and disseminate for compensation criminal history record information that the person has reason to believe have information relating to records or files that are subject to expunction.
Sec. 2a. (a) A person who is entitled to expunction of information contained in records and files under Article 55.01(d) may file an application for expunction with the attorney representing the state in the prosecution of felonies in the county in which the person resides.
(b) The application must be verified, include authenticated fingerprint records of the applicant, and include the following or an explanation for why one or more of the following is not included:
(1) the applicant’s full name, sex, race, date of birth, driver’s license number, social security number, and address at the time the person who falsely identified himself or herself as the applicant was arrested;
(2) the following information regarding the arrest:
(A) the date of arrest;
(B) the offense charged against the person arrested;
(C) the name of the county or municipality in which the arrest occurred; and
(D) the name of the arresting agency; and
(3) a statement that:
(A) the applicant is not the person arrested and for whom the arrest records and files were created; and
(B) the applicant did not give the person arrested consent to falsely identify himself or herself as the applicant.
(c)  After verifying the allegations in an application received under Subsection (a), the attorney representing the state shall:
(1)  include on the application information regarding the arrest that was requested of the applicant but was unknown by the applicant;
(2)  forward a copy of the application to the district court for the county;
(3)  attach to the copy a list of all:
(A) law enforcement agencies, jails or other detention facilities, magistrates, courts, prosecuting attorneys, correctional facilities, central state depositories of criminal records, and other officials or agencies or other entities of this state or of any political subdivision of this state;
(B) central federal depositories of criminal records that are reasonably likely to have records or files containing information that is subject to expunction; and
(C)  private entities that compile and disseminate for compensation criminal history record information that are reasonably likely to have records or files containing information that is subject to expunction; and
(4)  request the court to enter an order directing expunction based on an entitlement to expunction under Article 55.01(d).
(d) On receipt of a request under Subsection (c), the court shall, without holding a hearing on the matter, enter a final order directing expunction.
Sec. 3. (a) In an order of expunction issued under this article, the court shall require any state agency that sent information concerning the arrest to a central federal depository to request the depository to return all records and files subject to the order of expunction. The person who is the subject of the expunction order or an agency protesting the expunction may appeal the court’s decision in the same manner as in other civil cases.
(b) The order of expunction entered by the court shall have attached and incorporate by reference a copy of the judgment of acquittal and shall include:
(1) the following information on the person who is the subject of the expunction order:
(A) full name;
(B) sex;
(C) race;
(D) date of birth;
(E) driver’s license number; and
(F) social security number;
(2) the offense charged against the person who is the subject of the expunction order;
(3) the date the person who is the subject of the expunction order was arrested;
(4) the case number and court of offense; and
(5) the tracking incident number (TRN) assigned to the individual incident of arrest under Article 60.07(b)(1) by the Department of Public Safety.
(c)  When the order of expunction is final, the clerk of the court shall send a certified copy of the order to the Crime Records Service of the Department of Public Safety and to each official or agency or other governmental entity of this state or of any political subdivision of this state designated by the person who is the subject of the order.  The certified copy of the order must be sent by secure electronic mail, electronic transmission, or facsimile transmission or otherwise by certified mail, return receipt requested.  In sending the order to a governmental entity designated by the person, the clerk may elect to substitute hand delivery for certified mail under this subsection, but the clerk must receive a receipt for that hand-delivered order.
(c-1)  The Department of Public Safety shall notify any central federal depository of criminal records by any means, including secure electronic mail, electronic transmission, or facsimile transmission, of the order with an explanation of the effect of the order and a request that the depository, as appropriate, either:
(1)  destroy or return to the court the records in possession of the depository that are subject to the order, including any information with respect to the order; or
(2)  comply with Section 5(f) pertaining to information contained in records and files of a person entitled to expunction under Article 55.01(d).
(c-2)  The Department of Public Safety shall also provide, by secure electronic mail, electronic transmission, or facsimile transmission, notice of the order to any private entity that is named in the order or that purchases criminal history record information from the department.  The notice must include an explanation of the effect of the order and a request that the entity destroy any information in the possession of the entity that is subject to the order.  The department may charge to a private entity that purchases criminal history record information from the department a fee in an amount sufficient to recover costs incurred by the department in providing notice under this subsection to the entity.
(d)  Any returned receipts received by the clerk from notices of the hearing and copies of the order shall be maintained in the file on the proceedings under this chapter.
Sec. 4. (a) If the state establishes that the person who is the subject of an expunction order is still subject to conviction for an offense arising out of the transaction for which the person was arrested because the statute of limitations has not run and there is reasonable cause to believe that the state may proceed against the person for the offense, the court may provide in its order that the law enforcement agency and the prosecuting attorney responsible for investigating the offense may retain any records and files that are necessary to the investigation. In the case of a person who is the subject of an expunction order on the basis of an acquittal, the court may provide in the expunction order that the law enforcement agency and the prosecuting attorney retain records and files if:
(1) the records and files are necessary to conduct a subsequent investigation and prosecution of a person other than the person who is the subject of the expunction order; or
(2) the state establishes that the records and files are necessary for use in:
(A) another criminal case, including a prosecution, motion to adjudicate or revoke community supervision, parole revocation hearing, mandatory supervision revocation hearing, punishment hearing, or bond hearing; or
(B) a civil case, including a civil suit or suit for possession of or access to a child.
(b) Unless the person who is the subject of the expunction order is again arrested for or charged with an offense arising out of the transaction for which the person was arrested or unless the court provides for the retention of records and files under Subsection (a) of this section, the provisions of Articles 55.03 and 55.04 of this code apply to files and records retained under this section.
Sec. 5. (a) Except as provided by Subsections (f) and (g), on receipt of the order, each official or agency or other governmental entity named in the order shall:
(1)  return all records and files that are subject to the expunction order to the court or, if removal is impracticable, obliterate all portions of the record or file that identify the person who is the subject of the order and notify the court of its action; and
(2)  delete from its public records all index references to the records and files that are subject to the expunction order.
(b) Except in the case of a person who is the subject of an expunction order on the basis of an acquittal or an expunction order based on an entitlement under Article 55.01(d), the court may give the person who is the subject of the order all records and files returned to it pursuant to its order.
(c)  Except in the case of a person who is the subject of an expunction order based on an entitlement under Article 55.01(d) and except as provided by Subsection (g), if an order of expunction is issued under this article, the court records concerning expunction proceedings are not open for inspection by anyone except the person who is the subject of the order unless the order permits retention of a record under Section 4 of this article and the person is again arrested for or charged with an offense arising out of the transaction for which the person was arrested or unless the court provides for the retention of records and files under Section 4(a) of this article.  The clerk of the court issuing the order shall obliterate all public references to the proceeding and maintain the files or other records in an area not open to inspection.
(d)  Except in the case of a person who is the subject of an expunction order on the basis of an acquittal or an expunction order based on an entitlement under Article 55.01(d) and except as provided by Subsection (g), the clerk of the court shall destroy all the files or other records maintained under Subsection (c) not earlier than the 60th day after the date the order of expunction is issued or later than the first anniversary of that date unless the records or files were released under Subsection (b).
(d-1) Not later than the 30th day before the date on which the clerk destroys files or other records under Subsection (d), the clerk shall provide notice by mail, electronic mail, or facsimile transmission to the attorney representing the state in the expunction proceeding. If the attorney representing the state in the expunction proceeding objects to the destruction not later than the 20th day after receiving notice under this subsection, the clerk may not destroy the files or other records until the first anniversary of the date the order of expunction is issued or the first business day after that date.
(e) The clerk shall certify to the court the destruction of files or other records under Subsection (d) of this section.
(f)  On receipt of an order granting expunction to a person entitled to expunction under Article 55.01(d), each official, agency, or other governmental entity named in the order:
(1)  shall:
(A)  obliterate all portions of the record or file that identify the petitioner; and
(B)  substitute for all obliterated portions of the record or file any available information that identifies the person arrested; and
(2)  may not return the record or file or delete index references to the record or file.
(g)  Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, an official, agency, court, or other entity may retain receipts, invoices, vouchers, or similar records of financial transactions that arose from the expunction proceeding or prosecution of the underlying criminal cause in accordance with internal financial control procedures. An official, agency, court, or other entity that retains records under this subsection shall obliterate all portions of the record or the file that identify the person who is the subject of the expunction order.

Art. 55.03. EFECTO DE LA ORDEN DE EXPULSIÓN. Cuando la orden de cancelación sea definitiva
(1) se prohíbe la divulgación, el mantenimiento, la difusión o el uso de los registros y archivos borrados para cualquier propósito;
(2) salvo lo dispuesto en la subdivisión (3) de este artículo, la persona arrestada puede negar la ocurrencia del arresto y la existencia de la orden de cancelación; y
(3) la persona detenida o cualquier otra persona, cuando sea interrogada bajo juramento en un procedimiento penal sobre una detención cuyos registros hayan sido cancelados, sólo podrá declarar que el asunto en cuestión ha sido cancelado.

Art. 55.04. VIOLACIÓN DE LA ORDEN DE EXPULSIÓN.
Sec. 1. Una persona que adquiere conocimiento de un arresto mientras es funcionario o empleado del estado o de cualquier agencia u otra entidad del estado o de cualquier subdivisión política del estado y que conoce una orden de expurgación de los registros y archivos relacionados con ese arresto comete un delito si, a sabiendas, libera, difunde o utiliza de otro modo los registros o archivos.
Sec. 2. Una persona que, a sabiendas, no devuelva o borre las partes identificativas de un registro o archivo que se haya ordenado borrar en virtud de este capítulo, comete un delito.
Sec. 3. Una infracción según este artículo es un delito menor de clase B.

Art. 55.05. NOTIFICACIÓN DEL DERECHO A LA EXENCIÓN. En el momento de la puesta en libertad o del licenciamiento de una persona detenida, la persona responsable de la puesta en libertad o del licenciamiento le dará una explicación por escrito de sus derechos en virtud del presente capítulo y una copia de las disposiciones del mismo.
Art. 55.06. SUSPENSIONES Y REVOCACIONES DE LICENCIAS. Los registros relativos a la suspensión o revocación de una licencia de conducir, un permiso o un privilegio para operar un vehículo motorizado no pueden ser borrados en virtud de este capítulo, salvo lo dispuesto en la Sección 524.015, Código de Transporte, o en la Sección 724.048 de dicho código.

NOTA: Esta información NO ES UN CONSEJO JURÍDICO. Se proporciona para el uso educativo solamente. Si necesita asesoramiento legal con respecto a un asunto penal en el Estado de Texas, por favor, póngase en contacto con MARK THIESSEN en 713-864-9000 o llenar un breve formulario de evaluación de casos.