These Crimes Can Ruin Your Record in Texas

In Texas, the chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime is about 1 in 232. This obviously varies from city to city and crime to crime, but the statewide facts remain the same.

So, in order to break down what crimes carry heavier weight on a criminal record, we need to discuss a legal term known as 'crimes of moral turpitude.'

Lawyers absolutely love to throw around big words and wait for us civilians to ask what they mean. So, I'll answer it for you. As a non-lawyer layman, a crime of moral turpitude is simply an offense that directly contradicts honest or good morals.

Read More: Texas Police Codes You Should Definitely Know

These crimes can differ when directed at persons vs. property.

Worst Crimes Against People in Texas

Crimes of moral turpitude against other people include, but are not limited to, assault, kidnapping, murder and child abuse.

Some lesser-known examples under this criteria are lying to a police officer, prostitution, indecent exposure and bribery of a public official.

Worst Crimes Against Property in Texas

These tend to be a little less common and include arson, forgery, theft and illegal use of a credit card.

Some specific examples of crimes of moral turpitude regarding property range from tax evasion and bank fraud to shoplifting and mail fraud.

Criminal Roadblocks That Arise in Life

The reason these crimes carry more weight is because, if they show up on a criminal record, they affect one's character. Businesses will be less likely to hire someone if they were arrested for indecent exposure and/or theft rather than having unpaid traffic tickets.

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Also, immigrants entering the U.S. from anywhere else in the world who happen to have a record with any crime of moral turpitude previously mentioned will most likely be disqualified from their visa or citizenship process.

In business, an employee charged with and/or found guilty of any of these crimes are subject to immediate termination from their employers. Future work in similar fields may be very difficult to secure from then on.