Ruined my career earning potential, now I'm on /biz/

>>1174321
Misdemeanors dont mean shit. Why work for people who care about such petty offences anyways. If they bring it up in an interview just tell them you have learned from your mistakes and have grown as a person since the incident.

>>1174321
Dude. This isn't over. You're a smart guy. Lawyer up and beat those charges. Don't spare the dollars and get a top guy.

>>1174326
I feel you. Don't they say it's an employer's economy though? Maybe I am overreacting!

>>1174328
I have hired the best lawyer. I am just preparing for the worst case scenario. I really appreciate your perspective.

thanks for the response guys. I've spent so many hours on the internet trying to understand the ramifications of the situation I'm in. I know if I was a trucker or something I would be fucked, but I've had a hard time gauging what misdemeanors do for people seeking white collar employment.

>>1174328
This. If you don't have a record there is pretrial diversion or other ways you can get it cleared. If you don't get it cleared I think it shows up in background checks for 5 years and you will have difficulty getting a high tier job.

>>1174340

I have a clean record. In Ohio, I don't believe DUIs can be sealed/expunged (before you castigate me for drunk driving, I was sober and blew a 0.000)

in your experience, do background checks just show convictions and not charges? my charges are already "in the system" so they show up on the local court website.

I don't go back to court for over a month so it's a lot of finger crossing and worrying right now

>>1174328
>Don't spare the dollars and get a top jew
fixed. take out a loan if you have to, this is your god damn future. pay your pound of flesh and get it over with

>>1174321
>I fucked up a few weeks ago and got charged with three misdemeanors. They're all non-violent and marijuana related.
>African-American male (clean cut, professional, generally attractive --> I say these things because I think I can interview well)
good one, nigger. lay off the crack next time.

Maybe don't smoke pot next time, dumbass.

>>1174369

I hired the lawyer that literally gets accused of being best friends with the prosecutor

He got diversion (a slap on the wrist) an undergrad who was originally charged with felony distribution of cocaine ($30,000+ of coke found)

so ya I'm hoping that that weighs heavily in my favor

>>1174321
>African-American male
you're fucked

>>1174326
Jobs with over 300 grand starting that have a misdemeanor on them go right into the garbage

>>1174398
well, I don't think I am in competition for that salary range!

>>1174397
fucked in terms of charges or fucked in terms of no one ever hiring me with a record?

>>1174374
a few pot charges? really? get the right lawyer and hopefully the right judge and they'll be dismissed.

I was 23 and had a mason jar full of pot on me (also a veteran) with not even a speeding ticket to my name. Arrested blah blah, go to court: Judge: "yeah, don't do it again, charges dismissed"...

You'll be alright, that was 8 years ago now.

>>1174374
I think that's the best chance you got.

Do some research of the do's and don't of court, court room etiquette, talking to your lawyer, etc.

Hang in there, your doing everything right. The prohibition of drugs and ensuing drug war has ruined many lives. Here's hoping yours isn't one of them.

>>1174404
>fucked in terms of charges or fucked in terms of no one ever hiring me with a record?
both, and so much more

OP, for real narc on your local dumbasses. your charges go away and with no punishment. drug classes and shit can take up to 3 years for it to go away.

t. a narc

>>1174418

tell me more

I know it'll be harder to get a visa and shit

in the back of my mind I am prepared to expatriate over this shit

>>1174432
Just like a nig, fucks up and then runs away. Seriously, you are an idiot.

>>1174474

ok Bilbo

>>1174321
>African-American male

Stopped reading here. Now you'll need to join Jamal and the boys in their street gang. Good luck anon.

>>1174432
Hire a lawyer don't use a public defender. Best case scenario, you get the charges dropped

>>1174537

lol this genuinely made me chuckle, thanks

>>1174321
You've already said that you hired the best lawyer right?

I think the best advice I could give you right now is to take a deep breath and stop worrying about this shit. Nothing will come of it, plan for both roads just in case but don't get upset or irrational about the whole thing. Start working out, go on a run, get your mind off it and improve yourself until the court date or hearing. Take some positive steps forwards now that you have stuff trying to push you back.

This is all floaty bullshit advice, but it sound like you need it right now mate.

>>1174365
>In Ohio, I don't believe DUIs can be sealed/expunged
That's correct, they can't. I have one so I know. Same state too.

>do background checks just show convictions and not charges?
Both.

The DUI was 8 years ago but there was also a drug charge along with it (I had a roach in the ashtray at the time). Drug charge was dropped but the DUI stuck. About 3 years ago when I was applying for my job, my employer that was interviewing me at the time said "Okay.... well I see the DUI, which you wrote on your application. However, I also see a dismissed drug charge. I know this was five years ago, but that's not an issue anymore, is it?"

No, sir. I was young and stupid.

"Just to be clear, we do drug test. Are you okay with that?"

Absolutely. Like I said, I was young and I'd also like to point out I was never convicted.

He dropped it and moved on. I got the job. Depends entirely on the employer but for a top-tier job.. yeah it's going to be an issue most likely.

>>1174582
Nah, it's not floaty at all man. I have been trying to take those steps (self improvement), but a certain part of the mind just obsesses on the legal process.

Like today I've just been doing my school work, but every hour or so I feel the need to refresh this thread.

But ya, if I hadn't gotten in trouble I WOULD NOT be on /biz/ right now thinking about my future. So there are some positives, but right now the negatives are right in front of my face.

>>1174582
Our situation's sound eerily similar man. DUI with a drug charge.

It sounds like I did the right thing in giving my weed up. I definitely had a roach in the car somewhere, and if I would have made him search for it (and then find the other weed) I'm sure he would have gone for the "intent to distribute" charge

I'm glad to hear it came up in an interview and it wasn't a huge problem. Ultimately the goal is to own my own business so at that point a criminal record will matter less, but until then I'm at the mercy of employers.

>>1174602
I remember shitty bricks about it at the time, it was a bitch but you'll get through. Seriously, don't fret so much about it. You've educated yourself on the subject and hired a lawyer. There's nothing you can do beyond that.

Oh and enjoy the flood of lawyer advertisements that will be bombarding your mailbox.. haha. I must've gotten 100 letters the week after I was charged.

>>1174618

I got the first DUI lawyer solicitation in the mail yesterday =)

had a good laugh about that

but yeah man I'll try to stop stressing and get back to my school work, networking, and general self improvement (all things I wasn't doing at maximum capacity before I got arrested)

maybe go to law school so I can defend poor people from pigs/the justice system

>>1174628

One last piece of advice (a good lawyer should have told you this already).

Go to AA or NA immediately. Even if you don't actually need it or think you're going to beat the charges. Be prepared in case you don't. Attend at least two or three times with something to prove you were there prior to a plea deal/trial. That will help tremendously in terms of leniency when it comes to sentencing (jail time/fines). The sooner the better; especially if you do it on your own and not court ordered.

It saved me from 72 hours of supposedly mandatory jail time.

>>1174652

Man, I actually asked him the first time I met with him if I should be doing volunteer stuff (or getting drug counseling) right now to mitigate what's coming when I actually meet the prosecutor. He specifically told me not to.

He's been really reluctant to tell me to do anything or make predictions because the urine has not come back yet. Which is probably responsible, as there's a [tiny] chance that might pee might be clean OR that the urine becomes inadmissible.

There's also the fact that I blew a 0.000, so I don't think he wants me doing things that make it look like I actually have a substance abuse issue. I honestly didn't know NA was a thing until you just mentioned it though.

I go back to court mid-May. It's insane that the urine will have taken 2 months to test and process at that point.

and again, this is a semi-small town where everyone knows everyone. I definitely have THE best lawyer and he has such a close relationship with the prosecutor that it makes some people uncomfortable. I really drove home to him that I'm a successful grad student, I want to work with kids potentially, etc., so fingers crossed that he's doing his part .

>>1174321
dumb nigger, i'd never hire you

>misdemeanors

Won't affect you at all. You can get them waived even for government work.

>>1174674
are you implying you would hire me if I had a clean record? or you're just implying that you wouldn't hire black people? this is all hypothetical because you're obviously not (and never will be) in a position to hire or fire people.

>>1174683
that seems too good to be true but it's good to know that people that think like you exist. maybe I'll get to interview with a few of them.

>>1174419
kill yourself, scum

File: Screenshot_2016-04-02-22-46-31.png (100KB, 720x1280px) Image search: [Google]

100KB, 720x1280px

Not riding with your sack up front with you, and swallowing it all before he pulled you over..

>>1174321
Start doing community service.....a lot of it.....and start a drug education foundation for people your own age.

Such initiatives will help you overcome the charges while your attorney tries to get them away with deferred adjudication.

Additionally, after elections, volunteer for a state senator's office work and be frank about the situation. When the state senator sees what a good person you are, he/she will go tto bat for you in your employment efforts.

>>1174805
I'll be honest, I had waaaaay too much on me to swallow (and yes I know, there was no reason to be traveling with more than a gram or two)

>>1174810
WOW these are actually incredible ideas. Especially the last one about volunteering in a state senator's office. Holy shit that is such a good idea.

I knew coming to this board was a good idea

Wtf? Listen to your lawyer. You got a DUI with a 0.00. Don't do anything that even shows the slightest hint you think you are guilty.

>>1174321
>be honest and most people would over look weed charges.

>>1174338
>>1174365

I had drug charges in Canada, though they were dropped. Still, it's scary as hell I know.

In my experience though, it's only government jobs that go into that kind of background check, depends on your industry of course but I don't think a lot of places check. Even if they do, I don't know that pot would be an automatic dismisqual, they can only run a background check fairly late into the process so they might just not bother restarting the hiring if you're their candidate otherwise.

Best of Luck OP!