Most likely the programs and other related stuff you are doing is punishment.

Your record will show the DUI arrest, then either if you've been convicted, found innocent or pleaded no contest.

The arrest itself is very bad, even worse if convicted. You might want to look into sealing or expunging the record if the option is available in your state or city so the arrest is not part of public record any longer.

 

Some companies have codes of conduct which this would play into and therefore bar you from being hired.

 

um, a misdemeanor is not a "criminal offense." A DUI is a misdemeanor. It becomes an aggravated misdemeanor if it is a repeat offense. It is only a criminal act if it resulted in personal or property damage, and the prosecutor wants to treat it as such.

A DUI is not something you want or need to disclose to an employer, unless it is relevant to the job. Most applications I've seen only ask about felony convictions. In fact, the only reason to put anything there at all is if you really don't want the job. If someone wants to look up your record, they can, so it doesn't really make any sense to put anything there. There isn't a hiring manager in the world that would hire you if you mentioned a felony arrest on an application, but not hire you if you don't.

 

But if they ask for any misdemeanors w/in the past 5 years....and you don't put anything, and they do a background check, that's even worse.

 

A misdemeanor is a criminal offense, just a less severe type, compared to a felony. Some misdemeanors carry jail sentences.

 

Well if I was an employer I wouldn't hire someone with a DUI charge, cause to me it shows lack of responsibilty, sorry to come off as an ass but i'm sorry you break the law there are consequences and finding jobs is one of the consequences, if you are the one with the DUI charge, be glad that you didn't end up causing a serious wreck, or killing an innocent person because of the stupidity of being under the influence while driving. I hope that this person has learned their lesson.

 

Well, to be technically accurate, any suit involving a citizen or business vs. the state is a criminal case. Therefore, all people who have ever had a speeding ticket are to be considered criminals. However, many states and counties have "decriminalized" many traffic offenses, usually removing the threat of jail time as a punishment and removing the right to a jury trial. These minor traffic offenses are considered civil matters, and might be called "infractions" rather than "offenses." But I know of no-one who considers traffic tickets "criminal" offenses in the same vein as embezzlement or assault. For the purposes of common usage, "criminal" typically refers to felonies or gross misdemeanors involving personal injury or property loss/damage..

 

[QUOTE=no_really,Apr 6 2005, 05:01 PM] Well, to be technically accurate, any suit involving a citizen or business vs. the state is a criminal case.

 

There are hundreds and in some cases thousands of other applicants with the same credentials... In order to narrow things down, personal track record is taken into account in some cases.

 

ARD (could be in pennsylvania alone) is a program where you attend classes and pay some fines. In the end the offense is off your record if you do not get arrested with in a year. I know in PA this is dependent on how high your BAC was.

I think a lot of confusion in this thread is because every state handles it different. In PA, it is a criminal offense, not a felony. Basically if you get arrested, you are going to have a criminal case. (you need to show up in court, not the case for minor tickets i.e. speeding)