Job interview preparation
Because of the internet it is more important than ever to be able to intelligently prepare for questions from employers regarding your criminal record.
Many employers and licensing agencies have legal access to rap sheets; other employers may obtain them unlawfully. Still others may ask job applicants to list criminal convictions.
An individual's review of his or her record allows for development of strategies to address concerns about convictions. For example, a person whose record reveals a conviction for an alcohol or drug-related charge can prepare to talk about this issue, perhaps presenting the employer with a letter from an alcohol or drug treatment program showing rehabilitation.
Gun Ownership
If you have been convicted of a felony, your are not allowed to own or posses a firearm. And if you do, you could be charged with a felony.
However, if your felony conviction was a wobbler and we can reduce the charge to a misdemeanor, once it is reduced to a misdemeanor you will be allowed to lawfully purchase and possess firearms again.
We have represented many people that have had their cases reduced to misdemeanors and are now allowed to lawfully posses firearms.
Checking for mistakes
Rap sheets are often incomplete or contain mistakes that can make it harder to get jobs. You may have the same name as some one who is convicted of a crime and it is on your rap sheet. You should be aware of that before you are denied a job.
Furthermore, if a person was adjudicated a ward of the court as a juvenile, information concerning the adjudication can often be sealed. Once sealed, the information is confidential and should not be sent to an employer. Sometimes, however, due to clerical error, the ward of the court order remains on the rap sheet after sealing, and information that should have been confidential is sent to any employer authorized to see the rap sheet even though they should never have seen it in the first place.
The individual may not remember everything
California law permits employers to ask job applicants about some aspects of their criminal history. Untruthful or incomplete answers can lead to negative job repercussions. Because arrests and convictions may have occurred many years before, individuals may not remember all the information.
Also, court proceedings can be very confusing, and a person may not have fully understood the outcome of a case. For example, a person may have pled guilty to misdemeanor charges and received a conditional sentence, meaning that he or she did not have to pay a fine or serve time in jail. Despite no penalty, this criminal conviction must be disclosed if a job application asks about criminal convictions.
Orange County Law Offices of Stull & Stull
Criminal Defense Attorney
15615 Alton Parkway suite 450
Irvine, Ca. 92618
Phone: 877-815-7421
Fax: 949-271-6486
Email: info@expungecriminalrecordcalifornia.com