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Mark G26 wrote:

govnor wrote:Oh goody. Well, my prints are on file with the FBI anyway since I worked in security before. That was after the arrest, also.

I sent the packet off on June 18th. Just got it back this week...

I do not understand why they did not send your packet back sooner? I thought once the status showed processing you were beyond the finger print check.

I guess not. I've got my pin number and everything...

Oh goody. Well, my prints are on file with the FBI anyway since I worked in security before. That was after the arrest, also.

I sent the packet off on June 18th. Just got it back this week...

Mark G26 wrote:Govnor,

Are you still waiting?

Heh, got my crap back in the mail yesterday...prints are bad!!! Grrrr!

So now I have to get re-printed somewhere. I guess the arrest part was okay because they didn't mention that.

saltydog wrote:I have a similar situtation regarding arrest, but with no follow through with the local District Attorney.

An arrest was made, but the DA chosde not to prosecute. An attorney was paid to have the records expunged. I was told that the records were expunged. However, I never received a copy of any expunction order.

To complicate matters more, since the case wasn't prosecuted, there are no disposition records.

I can list the date of the arrest, but cannot provide DPS with copies of the resolution of that arrest.

Does anyone remember the book 'Catch 22'?

Seamus is probably right. You should call the court where it happened and find out what you need to do. Secondly, I would contact DPS and find out exactly what they need. If all else fails...hire a lawyer to take care of it. I doubt it would cost more than a couple hundred bucks and it would be worth not worrying about it.

doolyd wrote:Thanks for the replies. It would seem meaningless to expunge a record then have to divulge the information later. The entire process is meant to protect a person from being falsely arrested or charge for a crime. My attorney at the time advised me that I would never have to admit to anything unless in court, under oath.

I try to follow the system but sometimes the system just fails you and perhaps your only recourse is to no longer follow it.

I hear you, but it asks for "arrests." Even going back to juvenile. Why does it ask that? I have no idea. You probably have nothing to worry about by putting nothing, but then...I'm not a lawyer.

doolyd wrote:Does any one know if this would happen to exponged records. I have a similiar problem, although when I talked to my attorney he said exponged meant any record of it is deleted from every where it went. I have a fear it will come up.
Never went to court as the case was dismissed and charges dropped, record exponged.

I asked my CHL instructor about that and he said just to write "expunged" next to it. I would definitely list the arrest. It asks for arrests of any kind. If you want to get the court papers then call the court where it happened and see if they even have a record. I'm assuming they don't, so you could probably just write that it's expunged and be done with it...

Worst case scenario is that they send back your paperwork and ask you to get court documents, but at least you were honest about your arrest record.

Mark G26 wrote:Went ahead and ordered the court papers after reading more post. I will just send to them next week. They just receivd my application this week.

I was thinking why create delays. Thanks CHL Instructor

They told me it would be ten business days, but Tarrant county had them to me within a week. It was a lot quicker than I thought and my app is finally mailed in. I'm such a procrastinator...

Mark G26 wrote:The blue sheet with your application says to send in court papers IF you have them. They do not reguire them but like to have them if you have them. This was confirmed by email from CHL rep III. They have all your arrest and disposition on computer if they were anytime in recent history. Look and the blue sheet again that came with your application. I realize the yellow app says to send the court papers in bold.....

I went ahead and got the court papers. If it were a year earlier it would have been gone since they cut it off in 1989. Lucky me!

but we "went to town" in Mena.

The family I have there moved there to get away from the city and all that is associated with it. So they didn't grow up there or anything. That's what I want to do...get out. I just don't have the money to do it yet.

We had a nice little route in Mena, Arkiesaw

I've got some family in Mena. Probably no one you'd know, but it is a pretty place. It's kind of sad to me that the cruisin' days are over. At least in the city. But with all the gangs and drugs around these days I just don't see it going on anymore. Someone would get shot by some gang banger and it would end it for everyone...even the small towns.

Heh, yeah when I was going out there it was still a two lane all the way to Mansfield. That's where I lived and graduated highschool from. When I was 16 we were still cruising on the street and then they made it move to the parking lot across from UTA. That's actually where I was arrested. I should have known better than to cruise in a parking lot!

I always wonder what the kids do for fun these days. Cruising was something free to do that was fun. There was some drinking, but I never saw any drugs. I guess people have more money now anyway. At least when I drive around Plano/Southlake/Colleyville and see Hummers with $10k rims in the highschool parking lot that says it all. I know it ain't the teachers driving them...

You know, you can go right to Tarrant County court house and get a copy of your disposition in less than an hour. Why wait weeks?

Yeah, I know that, but I own a business. I have absolutely no time to go do something like that, not even an extra couple of hours. In fact today, Sunday is my only day off and sometimes I work on Sunday too. If they were open today I would go do it, but government offices are on banker's hours...

Heh, lucky me. I think it was 1990 when it happened and they said they have a record.

As far as being dismissed or not dismissed. I'm not sure, but that's what they said when my fiance called them. I'm with you that I shouldn't have done community service if it was in fact dismissed. I guess I'll know for sure in a couple of weeks...hopefully.

I'm posting this for anyone that might have been arrested and is considering getting a CHL. There is a bit more involved than for the honest folk that have never been to jail. Of course if you have a felony conviction you are out, but a class A misdemeanor is acceptable if it's over five years old.

When I was 19 (now 36) I was arrested while cruising Cooper street in Arlington. I'm sure you older dudes remember cruising and the cops always hanging around looking for any excuse to hassle you (probably for good reason). I got pulled over for making an illegal left turn and the LEO saw a nightstick in my car. Of course i didn't even know it was illegal to carry such a thing when I was a kid. My mom actually told me to do it because I had a few incidences with one including a broken nose. No, I didn't instigate it or any of the other ones. I used to be a bit smaller and less mean...so I got picked on.

So I went to jail that night, case was dismissed and did one day of community service that consisted of putting together instruction manuals in some place in Fort Worth. It was actually kind of fun and interesting, the community service that is. Everyone else in there seemed to be there for DWI's.

For those not in the know...this is a class A misdemeanor...just one step from a felony. That's right...carrying a piece of wood in your car is almost a felony. One of the cops even asked why I didn't just carry a baseball bat around. Pretty weird how legislation works. Anyway, it was the only time I was arrested.

On the CHL stuff that you have to send in you have to list every time you were arrested, whether convicted or not. Then they want to see the court papers that show the "full disposition" of the arrest. This happened so long ago, I didn't know what the outcome would be, but this is it. Basically, just call the courthouse in the county that the arrest happened in and request the documents. I was able to mail in the request to Tarrant County, but you might have to go in person to a smaller county. I haven't gotten the documents back, but expect an extra couple of weeks of waiting (at least) before you can even send in the CHL stuff. I took the course about three weeks ago and still can't send in my stuff.

So it's a minor setback, but still ticks me off since the arrest happened so long ago and no conviction. I'm glad I never got caught, um...never did anything else that might have been worse!