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Criminal history reporting to the recruiter?

alawson.223

New Member
However, you are asked if you've ever been arrested or used drugs, and you will have to admit to that.

Something also to consider: Unfortunately for you, the legal technicalities that allow you to say you have no record are actually seen by many employers during a background check, especially civil service jobs. You can't plead guilty to a felony or misdemeanor and expect it to disappear. It's going to follow you the rest of your life. A good defense attorney would recognize this and work to reduce the charges rather than give you the false feeling that they never happened through some legal hocus-pocus, but sometimes that's not possible and it's too late for that now, anyway.

I don't know why you decided to use drugs when you had to at least be thinking about applying for a commission in April and had to know about the military's zero-tolerance drug policy (additionally, many private companies have a similar zero-tolerance policy for their employees). "This incident" didn't kill your dream; you killed your dream, and you significantly affected your ability to be employed after college. It's a different story when you can say this happened several years ago as a teenager and you can demonstrate that you've learned your lesson, but doing this in your young 20's as you're about to enter the workplace is significantly more detrimental to your career goals, whatever they might be. On top of that, you lack ownership of your actions when you blame "this incident" rather than yourself for your situation.

I appreciate your sweeping generalizations of my character. Not sure where you learned Texas law but certain misdemeanors do not stay with you for life. Did you know a speeding ticket, seat belt violation and a paraphernalia charge are all classed as C level misdemeanors? Texas has more things to worry about than a guy with a rolling machine, the judge told me so. I believe given the situation I acted in my best interest to minimize collateral damage to my future. I'm sure before you got your wings you made some bad decisions that you just did not get caught for.
 

Yardstick

Is The Bottle Ready?!
pilot
You screwed yourself dude. Should have thought about the consequences of your actions prior to screwing the pooch.
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Paying a fine + serving probation = accepting responsibility for actions. Are you inferring I have to face this for the rest of my life?
Well, if it keeps you from being a Naval Officer, then it will affect you the rest of your life. We don't need to resort to any histrionics from anyone here. You did something stupid, however minor it may have been, and now are realizing the consequences may have been more far reaching than you originally thought. That's life. Doesn't make you a horrible human being, but when the Navy can afford to be very picky about who it accepts into its ranks, guys like you are going to get passed up. That's also life.
 

BusyBee604

St. Francis/Hugh Hefner Combo!
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
Paying a fine + serving probation = accepting responsibility for actions.

"Paying a fine + serving probation =" doing what the Judge sentences you, to avoid further punitive action.

"accepting responsibility for actions =" Not saying childish statements like "I guess it's all about who you know..."

Are you inferring I have to face this for the rest of my life?

That seems to be the consensus... at least for sensitive positions, military/police, requiring security clearances, etc., where a drug-free record is a requirement.
*Incidentally "Sea Lawyers" do not go over well in the Navy. If you don't know that term...research it!:rolleyes:
BzB
 

Spekkio

He bowls overhand.
I appreciate your sweeping generalizations of my character. Not sure where you learned Texas law but certain misdemeanors do not stay with you for life. Did you know a speeding ticket, seat belt violation and a paraphernalia charge are all classed as C level misdemeanors? Texas has more things to worry about than a guy with a rolling machine, the judge told me so. I believe given the situation I acted in my best interest to minimize collateral damage to my future. I'm sure before you got your wings you made some bad decisions that you just did not get caught for.
You're an idiot. How's that for a generalization?

No one cares about speeding tickets. People do care about drug charges, especially ones that happened in the last year. Don't compare apples to oranges.

Yes, I have made mistakes in the past, and yes, those mistakes still follow me 10 years later. I started a fight in college that led to a disciplinary suspension... yep, I still have to explain that 10 years later everytime someone asks for my college transcript. Luckily, I was able to plea to a violation not a misdemeanor, but had I plead to a misdemeanor I would be explaining that away 10 years later, too, even if my record was expunged. It also is the most likely reason I got rejected from every medical school I applied to without even getting an interview. The difference is that I actually owned up to my stupidity and worked entry level jobs until I could prove to better employers that I was worth hiring. You are looking for ways to sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened, but what your lawyer didn't explain to you is the second that you sign that form pleading "guilty," you are now convicted. That doesn't go away, and organizations that do extensive background checks for security clearances like the Navy/USMC WILL find it.

But hey, don't take my anecdotal story for it. This guy thought he could plea away his troubles, too, but it turns out that big financial firms don't like having convicted drug users on the books, either. The only thing that makes me mad is that the writer of the story blames this man's troubles on an unfair law rather than his own actions.
 

KBayDog

Well-Known Member
Paying a fine + serving probation = accepting responsibility for actions. Are you inferring I have to face this for the rest of my life?

Yes, he is.

Paying a fine + serving probation DOES NOT = accepting responsibility for actions.

Paying a fine + serving probation = doing what the judge ordered.

You screwed up. You need to come to grips with the harsh reality that it will continue to affect you down the road...regardless of what Texas law says.


EDIT: BzB beat me to it. Well done, Sir.
 

CUPike11

Still avoiding work as much as possible....
None
Contributor
If you have a deferred judgement against you, you CANNOT go to OCS. I had the same issue only mine was a fight that I was in and had third degree assault charges against me. I later got the charges dropped as it was ruled I reacted in self-defense and the bouncer that began it was out of line.

But thats what was told to me because during that time, my package was going up to the board. I still got picked up to attend OCS and told my recruiter the DAY after it happened. He then sent a letter up to the board that I drafted and signed about what had happened. I completed community service, some stupid hippie counseling and an alcohol screen by one of the officers. The Officers noted that my record was squeaky clean up to that point and upon further research of that night supported my decision. He went to bat for to the judge as well after he found out I was applying to the military and trying to move beyond that. I had 3 months to complete all my requirements and finished them in 2 weeks.

Coupling that with my pro-activity in getting my assignments from the judge finished AND a letter from our OIC of my recruiting command and recruiter showing I had been selected, the judge agreed to drop all charges and my year long deferred judgement.

I say all that to say this - no one is passing judgement on you. You came on here because you wanted an opinion or our opinions on your situation. Don't get all butt hurt when we tell you the truth. We're not going to tell you what you want to hear and just because you don't agree with it, doesn't mean we don't want you to join. However, we know nothing about you except that you got "charged" with drug possession, so what do you expect a bunch of Naval Officers to think of you as a person?

Third degree assault is WAY different than drug possession and i'm not sure how you can go about getting it wiped. But spekkio and the others are right....you need to be completely 100% honest about it happening. Own up and take responsibility. If you have a deferred judgement against you, I would ask how you can go about getting that dropped. Otherwise, I don't think you can go to OCS until after that judgement is dropped. If you need a waiver, then that's something your recruiter should know, but again, I would be upfront, honest, and taking responsibility for it. You also need to show the Navy that you've since changed your ways.

However, don't be surprised if this is now "too little, too late."

*Also to add, it looks like my situation happened fairly without problems. But as I said, I was VERY proactive in getting my stuff accomplished and had to pay fines too. When I spoke to the judge, I noted that this was a one time incident as I had NEVER been in trouble prior to that. I basically had to explain my life story to prove that point and thus, my application to the military proved that this would be a one time event and that I could be trusted to not do anything that would jeopardize her (the judges) decision to drop the judgement.
 

exNavyOffRec

Well-Known Member
I know people who have done far worse and have had successful careers in the military. I guess its all about who you know.

It isn't about who you know it is about what you did, now things that would get a pass say 10 years ago no longer get a pass, I know people that just failed to disclose certain things, of course they weren't caught doing those things, but sometimes people don't disclose things that they were caught for that comes up in later investigations, such a thing happened to an individual I worked with, lost his clearance and admin sep'd
 

KBayDog

Well-Known Member
Moreover, many years subsequent, my checkered background came up in airline interviews too.

She%20said%20she%20was%2018.jpg
 

dtxz

Looks Lost
pilot
My plans for applying have been halted due to financial issues

Financial issues? You're right, probably not a good idea to apply for a well-paying career.

Being a Naval Aviator seems like the ultimate job for me, hell its my last reason for going to college...

Asking the internet whether or not you'll make it is not going to put you any closer to an answer. Applying and telling the truth to your recruiter is the only way to find out.
 
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