City Ordinance Violation Reporting? Please Help

[chickenlittle84]

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So, back in the fall of 2005, my roommate and I had a party in our college apartment. The party got a little loud, and I got a noise violation, which is called a local ordinance code violation. No one actually called the party in, but the city where I went to school allows noise violations to be issued if noise can be heard from 25 feet away, which is ridiculous. A loud conversation can carry 25 feet... It was not a big deal at all, I paid a $50 fine and I never really thought about it again...

My old roommate and I were looking at pictures and talking about the party last week, which is the first time I have thought about this in a very long time...I totally forgot about it!...I was preparing to submit the Northwestern secondary today and read the criminal record statement very closely, and it specifically asks you to include city ordinance violations...

This is fine for Northwestern, I will include the violation, it should not be a big deal...but do other schools require city ordinance violations to be reported too??? I never even thought about this until now!

 

[MassTransport]

No, city ordinance violation != misdemeanor or felony. Unless a secondary specifically asks for it like Northwestern, you will be fine.

 

[chickenlittle84]

What about a secondary that asks for any legal violation? I talked to my sister who is a lawyer and she said it is a laughable citation. She said she would not bother to go back and let schools know about it - if it comes up, I can tell the truth and tell them I forgot, which is the truth. It was just such a non-issue.

 

[MassTransport]

Yeah, this does sound pretty minor, but it's in your best interest to be forthcoming. I think an ordinance violation does qualify as "legal violation" that may or may not show up during a background check. Can you talk to a court clerk? You should be able to request your criminal record to see if it's on there. You might also call the school and inquire.

 

[drizzt3117]

Yeah, this does sound pretty minor, but it's in your best interest to be forthcoming. I think an ordinance violation does qualify as "legal violation" that may or may not show up during a background check. Can you talk to a court clerk? You should be able to request your criminal record to see if it's on there. You might also call the school and inquire.

Hm weird, I think I may have had a similar occurrence in undergrad but I received my own copy of a criminal background check after applying for my current research position and it says "no items found" so I don't know if those things are taken out of a file after a given amount of time (it was like 10 years ago) I didn't put anything about it in the NU app because it didn't show up on the CBC and also because I didn't remember it until after reading this post haha

 

[limpkitty]

it's not a criminal offense, so if they ask you to report crimes you don't have to mention it. but if they ask about any legal viololations, you do have to report it. Not doing so can be grounds for kicking you out after you're accepted. But, it is minor as hell and isn't gonna keep you out as long as you report it

 

[Kikaku21]

So, back in the fall of 2005, my roommate and I had a party in our college apartment. The party got a little loud, and I got a noise violation, which is called a local ordinance code violation. No one actually called the party in, but the city where I went to school allows noise violations to be issued to groups of 25 people or more, regardless of how loud the gathering actually is. It was not a big deal at all, I paid a $50 fine and I never really thought about it again...

My old roommate and I were looking at pictures and talking about the party last week...I was preparing to submit the Northwestern secondary today and read the criminal record statement very closely, and it specifically asks you to include city ordinance violations...

This is fine for Northwestern, I will include the violation, it should not be a big deal...but do other schools require city ordinance violations to be reported too??? I never even thought about this until now!

There are 2 things here:

1. In some cities, you pay the ticket and the city drops the case against you. If this is the case, you were not convicted, so even for NU, you can say no because they ask (even underline the word) about convictions. If you call the police department that cited you, you can find out if this is the case for you specifically. If you are in IL, you can get the matter expunged if you were not convicted as well. Either way, an ordinance violation will not appear in almost any background check.

2. If the application asks about a crime, its a non-criminal matter in most states. In IL, it is non-criminal for sure. So you can get off on that technicality--but it is a little sketchy.

 

[JaggerPlate]

it's not a criminal offense, so if they ask you to report crimes you don't have to mention it. but if they ask about any legal viololations, you do have to report it. Not doing so can be grounds for kicking you out after you're accepted. But, it is minor as hell and isn't gonna keep you out as long as you report it

Why would they even ask about 'legal violations' if they weren't criminal offenses. Are they looking for infractions? Because if so, this sounds like something that there would be absolutely no record of, and I don't even see why they would ask about this? Should you list parking tickets as well? I mean those are 'legal violations.' Do a lot of secondaries ask about more than just the AMCAS misdemeanor/felony question?

 

[MassTransport]

Most of the secondaries I've encountered only ask for misdemeanor/felony. NW was the only one that asked specifically about other stuff. Semantic issues ahoy.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Most of the secondaries I've encountered only ask for misdemeanor/felony. NW was the only one that asked specifically about other stuff. Semantic issues ahoy.

Yeah I had never heard anything besides misdemeanor/felony. Do you know where I could find out if other secondaries would ask, and if an infraction or being 'cite released' (where a police basically detains you while you are written the ticket for the infraction - which doesn't show up on any background check) would need to be included in something like that??

 

[JaggerPlate]

Any thoughts anyone???

 

[MassTransport]

I'm not sure if there's a list of secondaries. The best way about this is to call the school and ask if consider so and so to be reportable (don't identify yourself).

 

[JaggerPlate]

I'm not sure if there's a list of secondaries. The best way about this is to call the school and ask if consider so and so to be reportable (don't identify yourself).

But not all secondaries ask this question right? I mean its not something that every single secondary app is going to have, unlike the primary amcas misdemeanor/felony question right?

 

[chickenlittle84]

No, I don't think most will ask for more than misd. and felonies...I went back through most of the secondaries I have done so far. Since I totally forgot about the noise violation, I didn't report it anywhere except Northwestern. The only place I feel like I should have is for GW, which asks about "legal" something...I will probably give them a call tomorrow and ask about a city ordinance violation for which I paid a fee...you will not have to worry about this at most places...many don't even ask additional questions about criminal record on the secondary...

 

[JaggerPlate]

No, I don't think most will ask for more than misd. and felonies...I went back through most of the secondaries I have done so far. Since I totally forgot about the noise violation, I didn't report it anywhere except Northwestern. The only place I feel like I should have is for GW, which asks about "legal" something...I will probably give them a call tomorrow and ask about a city ordinance violation for which I paid a fee...you will not have to worry about this at most places...many don't even ask additional questions about criminal record on the secondary...

Thanks, and sorry for high-jacking your thread. I once had a misdemeanor charge, but after taking a lame class type thing, it was reduced to an infraction which doesn't appear on any record. However, I'm afraid that if I had to explain the infraction, it would be hard to mold it around the fact that it was originally a misdeameanor charge that didn't lead to conviction. It just makes me nervous, but doesn't sound like it's going to be a problem.

 

[LicensedPremed]

How about parking violation? I had to pay 35 bucks for this. Do medical schools really care about those things?

 

[MassTransport]

How about parking violation? I had to pay 35 bucks for this. Do medical schools really care about those things?

God I hope not.

 

[chickenlittle84]

Thanks, and sorry for high-jacking your thread. I once had a misdemeanor charge, but after taking a lame class type thing, it was reduced to an infraction which doesn't appear on any record. However, I'm afraid that if I had to explain the infraction, it would be hard to mold it around the fact that it was originally a misdeameanor charge that didn't lead to conviction. It just makes me nervous, but doesn't sound like it's going to be a problem.

I wouldn't worry about it...most of them tell you to report only if you have been convicted. If you have done certain kinds of volunteer activities, or gotten a job, they probably did a background check on you...if nothing came up that you were asked to explain, you are probably okay. I am guessing I am okay since I just had a background check done for a job a few weeks ago and no one said anything to me....this is gray area so you can always explain failure to disclose that way. I don't think you are obligated to report...

 

[Kikaku21]

Yeah I had never heard anything besides misdemeanor/felony. Do you know where I could find out if other secondaries would ask, and if an infraction or being 'cite released' (where a police basically detains you while you are written the ticket for the infraction - which doesn't show up on any background check) would need to be included in something like that??

I wouldn't worry about it. Also, if you are detained and cited, 9 times out of 10, paying the ticket does not lead to a conviction. (i.e. unless the line you are signing on is a guilty plea.) Usually signing such a ticket results in a dropping of charges by the city. Then you'd have an arrest record with the police dept that "detained" you. (detained counts as arrested)

Most schools ask if you were convicted. So you could say "no" to the question.

 

[JaggerPlate]

I wouldn't worry about it. Also, if you are detained and cited, 9 times out of 10, paying the ticket does not lead to a conviction. (i.e. unless the line you are signing on is a guilty plea.) Usually signing such a ticket results in a dropping of charges by the city. Then you'd have an arrest record with the police dept that "detained" you. (detained counts as arrested)

Most schools ask if you were convicted. So you could say "no" to the question.

Yeah, I know I was fine for the AMCAS questions, I just hope secondary questions don't get too pushy. I think I'm fine though. Thanks for everything!!

 

[Kikaku21]

Yeah, I know I was fine for the AMCAS questions, I just hope secondary questions don't get too pushy. I think I'm fine though. Thanks for everything!!

Most ask about convictions. Even NU, which asks about city ordinance violations, asks for convictions. You would only have to answer "yes" if they ask about ticket citations (w/ or w/o convictions) or charges. MCW asks about charges.

Also, you can usually get non-convictions expunged, so you may want to consider that.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Most ask about convictions. Even NU, which asks about city ordinance violations, asks for convictions. You would only have to answer "yes" if they ask about ticket citations (w/ or w/o convictions) or charges. MCW asks about charges.

Also, you can usually get non-convictions expunged, so you may want to consider that.

Okay, so basically as I stand now; I'm clear on misdeameanor/felony, and I guess I would only have to report anything if a secondary specificially asked about a ticket citation. However, even parking tickets are infractions ... so I'm not sure about them asking about that. So, I guess I'm fine.

Also, you can't expunge infractions (like the non conviction ticket you were talking about) because they don't go on your record which means there is nothing to expunge. Also, what does MCW stand for ( I can't figure it out right now)?

 

[Kikaku21]

Okay, so basically as I stand now; I'm clear on misdeameanor/felony, and I guess I would only have to report anything if a secondary specificially asked about a ticket citation. However, even parking tickets are infractions ... so I'm not sure about them asking about that. So, I guess I'm fine.

Also, you can't expunge infractions (like the non conviction ticket you were talking about) because they don't go on your record which means there is nothing to expunge. Also, what does MCW stand for ( I can't figure it out right now)?

This depends on what state you are in, but infractions often result in arrest records at the police dept. Those CAN be expunged. MCW is med college of wisconsin.

 

[JaggerPlate]

This depends on what state you are in, but infractions often result in arrest records at the police dept. Those CAN be expunged. MCW is med college of wisconsin.

But I didn't think arrest records or police records came up in background checks. I thought someone actually had to go to the police station where the record was and ask for the file, and even then, had to have permission. I was under the impression that those kinds of things didn't come up in background checks??