Background checks are being employed more and more frequently as a common business practice for existing employees, and particularly for new hires. In today’s news is another story about the University of Georgia requiring background checks for anyone with a minimum amount of purchasing authority.
What is left unstated is: What exactly is a disqualifying incident that is discovered in one’s criminal background check?
It is a fact of life that criminal records are public records. And with this information easily and cheaply available through differnet public and private online record searches, it is nearly impossible to keep any criminal conviction a secret.
Though criminal records in Georgia and nationwide have always been technically public records, years ago, someone would have to fill out a form at a court house of police station, and wait for someone to dig up records from a dusty file cabinet.
But now, anyone can find those records online with minimal effort. And this changes the game for how damaging a criminal record can be to your future opportunities.
What Can Result from Having a Criminal Conviction on A Background Check?
Many industry licenses can be denied if you have a criminal record, such as a real estate license or opportunites to work in law enforcement or any job that requires a security clearance.
And with so many employers doing routine background checks for job applicants, it is easy to imagine how you would be passed over before having a chance to make your case, just because of a decades-old minor criminal incident.
What Can I Do About a Criminal Record?
If you have an existing criminal conviction in your past, it is possible for that record to be expunged in some case. Generally, a misdemeanor conviction can be expunged after 5 years if there are no other incidents in that time. Some felonies can be expunged after 10 years, but it depends, the rules are complicated, and you can be denied expungement.
Please contact us to find out of we can help you with a criminal expungement in Georgia.
But the best decision you can often make is to stop a criminal conviction before you even get it. That means fight your criminal charges aggressively in Georgia criminal courts. Don’t just plead guilty and accept the consequences and punishment that a criminal record will give you for years to come, without a fight!
It makes sense to consider the long term consequences of a criminal conviction before you plead guilty. Our defense attorneys can help you evaluate your options, and figure out the pros and cons and likely outcomes in any criminal case.
If you are charged with a crime in Georgia, please contact our defense lawyers today to take advantage of a free criminal defense lawyer consultation and full case evaluation.
My opinon on criminal background checks is that the way things are made so easy for employers to find out info on what was more than likely dumb mistakes of youth they are very likely to use it as a way of discriminating against people. L ahve seen it used to fire an employee after the company was through with them
Craig,
Interesting point, and I’m sure you’re right. The fact that criminal records are so readily available essentially makes the information “fair game” for any discriminatory purpose.
Dumb mistakes have never been so costly.