Should your background affect you ability to work in an industry you studied and prepared for?

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Should your background be an issue after a certain amount of years past?

As expected, one who has a criminal background has a strike against them for whatever the charge was and this usually will follow the person for the rest of their lives, as a Decatur criminal lawyer can attest. It is of course an employer’s decision and right to inquire about a person’s background. Who could blame employers for wanting to find out if they‘re about to hire a convicted child molester as their next Director of Youth within the community? Companies that do not do participate in background checks may be held liable should they hire someone who commits a violent act, steals from a business partner, or sexually harasses co-workers and had a criminal background with these or similar complaints. While this may seem very unpromising, having a criminal history shouldn’t discourage you from seeking gainful employment. Many professionals have criminal records and bring just as much value to an organization as a professional without a record.

Ready to turn your entire life around? There are several things you must do in order to prevail this hindering issue called “your criminal history”. Never worry, stay focused, and keep fighting for what you were setting up the entire time to be successful, right? Re-evaluating your life starts with many things, friends, associates, habits, ethics, morals, living conditions and those are just a few. Everybody makes mistakes, wrong choices and bad decisions. Life lessons are your best friend if you learn something from each lesson, it was not a mistake. Once you know better you will do better these are the facts. Your tools to improve your life and a better you are in your control.

Typically employers will only go back seven years with most employee screenings, although reporting agencies do in fact go up to ten years.  Criminal records do not drop off after 7 (seven) or 10 (ten) years, whether you were convicted or not. If you have been arrested and charged for a felony or misdemeanor it will still stay on records and in your history forever. Unless you were “not adjudicated” then you may get a one-time expungement to seal that particular record and charge. You must fill out a packet and forward your disposition with a specific form to the district attorney’s office that charged you for them, have it filled out and notarized then you have to forward it to the instructed law enforcement agencies with a fee to get this removed and sealed.

This is not the worst news if you have really left your past in the past and moved forward. Employers know everyone is not squeaky clean and most of the time they will give you the opportunity to explain the questionable charge, usually with certified documentation, your disputation from the charge. Restoration of rights are typically enough for the employer to give you a chance. Employers are willing to give opportunities to those especially if you have changed your life and it is clear you have done so, taking action is in you control.

 


 

Thanks to our friends and contributors from Andrew R. Lynch, P.C. for their insight into criminal defense practice.