I was approved for Global Entry with a very old arrest on my record involving a deferred adjudication felony.

The agent asked "What happened on x date?" I answered honestly and concisely. He replied "So no other problems since then?" I said, "None whatsoever...It was a mistake made in my youth." And he approved me.

I didn't have any paperwork with me and had decided to just give it a shot at the airport coming in from a flight abroad (I had received my conditional approval some time ago). He was very kind and explained that, due to the old arrest, I would most likely always get the "X" on my passport kiosk slip. He said "It won't be a big deal, but you'll probably always get the "X" and will have to briefly speak with an agent rather than walk right through."

It seems like a reasonable price to pay for a mistake made long ago. I'm thrilled to have been approved and to have been treated with such kindness and courtesy at the interview.