Got caught stealing, is there hope?

Started by reese07
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reese07

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15+ Year Member
Do DO schools do criminal background checks? If so, how strict are they about it? I have a class c misdemeanor for theft under $50. How will this affect me in the application process?
 
Western requires a background check. Your best bet would be to contact admission offices directly and ask.
 
we had a rash of ribs (the pork kind you eat) thefts at my school back when I was there, I doubt you'd be welcome there. It was a sad day at the school when the ribs came up missing......
 
what if i didnt get arrested, just a ticket? Will they cut me some slack if its the only bad thing in my record? I mean everyone does stupid stuff once in their life..
 
All schools require background checks. A hit like that probably won't keep you out of school, but it will show up. Just anonymously call the admissions offices of the schools you like, they'll tell you how to proceed.
 
Listen to the following words closely:

-All schools do background checks, and no matter how well this is dismissed, expunged, etc, they will find out.
-What age did this happen? Were you under 18? What was the verdict - dismissed, convicted, etc? What was the sentence?
-You are lucky it wasn't above 200 dollars, otherwise you'd be a felon and have some real problems on your hand.
-pay very, very close attention to what the schools are asking for. IE if your case was dismissed and the school asks 'have you ever been convicted of misdemeanor/felony?' you can legally say no, and when they find it, you weren't being dishonest. Answer what you have to, but don't blabber on about things they aren't asking for, however .....
-DO NOT LIE ABOUT THIS!!!! Absolute worst thing in the world you can do it lie. It will come back to bite you, and you will not get in for sure.

Now ...
-Yes, this is going to look bad, immature, etc.
-I hope it happened a long time ago so you can explain how you've grown and regret it and grew from the experience.
-I don't know how much it will affect you, my guess is that it's not killer (IE not a DUI, no violent charges, drugs etc), but definitely not good.

So here is what you do ....
-Go to a lawyer, listen to what the lawyer has to say (that is what legal professionals do), and do it.
-Ask them about what happened, what you need to let schools know, if you could maybe get it expunged, etc etc.

Good luck.
 
Set up a court date for your ticket and try your best to get into some leniency program. Talk to a lawyer if you can afford it. A local law school or your own university might have some sort of free service that will be useful to you. Good luck, try not to steal any more shampoo.
 
I was charged with multiple felonies quite a few years ago (including forgery and theft). I contacted schools, state boards, and an attorney about the matter. All charges against me were dismissed before court, but I was indeed charged with (5 I think) multiple felonies. The records were sealed/expunged and were not found by a single school. The state boards said they would be able to see it, the attorney said they would not.

I had done nothing wrong and was wrongly accused of these crimes, which became evident once the *****ic police actually investigated the matter. Anyway, I listed none of this on my applications. I figured if it was ever found and I was ever asked about it I would simply say "how can something I never did, was dismissed with apologies from the court, and expunged be held against me". Of course I would also state that I was told by the court that after the records were expunged I need not reveal the incident to anyone. Anyway, the attorney (and later judge) told me that expunged records are pretty much invisible, except to some branches of law enforcement, HLS--but should certainly be invisible to medical schools, and licensing boards.

I've had no problems thus far, but I suppose you never know.

Anyway, if you get found guilty of this, I would consult an attorney.

Good luck! 🙂
 
I have two counts of misdemeanor theft in the first degree on my criminal record, and I just had my first interview at LECOM (Hoping for an acceptance letter next week!) If you can show the school that you learned from your mistakes and that you're a better person because of what happened, they should look favorably on you. It'll help too if the charges are older, which would show you've time to reflect on them and learn from the experience.
 
part of getting a misdemeanor is also learning not to post on multiple boards... sigh
 
The OP posted on another thread that this just happened a few days ago. OP, I'm not sure what is causing you to steal, but if this is some kind of compulsive issue - you might want to seek some kind of counseling for it, so you don't choose this behavior again.
 
File for expungement, ASAP. In order to make sure it is done properly, I would highly recommend having a lawyer do it for you, although it may cost about a grand, but it will be worth it in the end. Once your record is expunged, no one (other than government officials) will be able to see. The process takes about 3 months, so don't waste time.
 
Eye Cue said:
File for expungement, ASAP. In order to make sure it is done properly, I would highly recommend having a lawyer do it for you, although it may cost about a grand, but it will be worth it in the end. Once your record is expunged, no one (other than government officials) will be able to see. The process takes about 3 months, so don't waste time.
Click to expand...

expungement isn't just a magical piece of paperwork you can fill out and get done after committing a crime. If he was convicted recently, it will take years to be eligible for expungement - which will then (if it's even possible) cost thousands, involve lawyers, lots of paperwork, and TIME. Med schools will still find it.

The bottom line is that the OP is probably going to have to own up to it. Get a lawyer asap, try to get some sort of program to get it dropped etc etc.
 
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