When seeking citizenship/naturalization within the state of Texas, the court tries its best to determine whether the person is a good person or not. It does this by looking at the person’s past actions to determine their moral character. There are certain acts (both lawful and unlawful) that are used to determine Good Moral Character (GMC). If a person commits a crime, the court will look to see if it’s a Crime Involving Moral Turpitude.
From there, the court can decide whether or not the crime will reflect on the person’s moral character. There are several different crimes that might count against a person’s moral character.
What’s considered a crime involving moral turpitude?
Moral turpitude refers to conduct that might shock the public conscience, due to the nature of the crime. In most cases, these are violent crimes or offenses against a person or property. Examples include:
– Crimes against a person, such as aggravated battery.
– Crimes against property. This can vary state by state, but usually includes theft or destruction of property.
– Sexual and family crimes, including sexual contact with a minor.
– Crimes against the authority of the government. This includes possession of counterfeit documents as well as attempted bribery of a government official.
When someone is seeking citizenship/naturalization, the court will look through a person’s past to see if any of the above crimes have been committed. If a person is found to committing a crime involving moral turpitude when seeking citizenship/naturalization, it might hurt their chances of success.
Are you worried about moral turpitude?
There are a lot more factors to consider within the immigration process than just establishing good moral character. If you’re worried about your ability to establish a good moral character when seeking citizenship/naturalization, reach out to an immigration attorney today.
