Criminal Record... what to expect

[wickedzeus]

Thanks for all the input everyone. I was caught during a routine traffic check, after they searched the car with my permission. I have heard it a million times that I should not have done that, but because of the demeanor of the officers at the time and the honest belief that there was nothing in my car I gave them permission. They found a container with what the police report describes as a "minute" amount of cannabis in it. It was honestly something from the past that came back to haunt me, since I was doing an internship at the time for which I had passed a drug test.

In most other places, including where I live in Illinois, the punishment would have been a lot less severe. My one year probation period ends in early August, and I have clean random bimonthly drug tests for the entire probation period. I also completed an outpatient program dealing with marijuana, as well as more community service than mandated. Some of the comments above are pretty intimidating, but considering some of the things I've done after this, academically and in terms of maturity and lifestyle changes, will this really affect my chances if I'm in the "gray area" in terms of acceptance at some schools?

[suchgreatheights]

God I can't imagine what a joke an outpatient program for a drug that causes no chemical dependence or withdraw syndromes, for a 'patient' who isn't even actively using it let alone dependent on it or detoxing from it, would be. 

Like, lol, what kind of a drug addict (or for that matter alcoholic) *forgets* that the substance of their choice is in their vehical.

[Budlaw]

Only advice I would give, on top of what has already been given in this thread, is to get your record expunged. If the convictions occurred in Illinois, it is a very fairly simple process. Good luck.

Record expungement doesn't matter for the Board of Bar Examiners. You still have to tell them about it.

Honestly, since these were so recent, you may have some trouble. Some schools won't touch you. Its really the pot charge that is the hang up. The MIP isn't a big deal at all. You do know that you also may be inelligible for government loans because of the pot charge right?

Some State Bars may not certify you either. (i.e. Florida)

You are 100% wrong with everything you said.

1) You get an expungment to show you have moved past the issue, grown up and taken steps to rectify the mistake.

2) A pot charge does not mean *&^%. If it is not a felony, he will not only get into law school, but he will pass the bar.

3) Don't give advice if you are clueless.

You aren't even a 1L, I can tell by your responses, yet you are giving advice about what is a concern and what is not a concern with the bar. Attorneys won't even give the kind of advice you are, unless they are character and fitness examiners.

Actually I'm a hundred percent RIGHT about what I said. An expungement DOES NOT matter for the character and fitness examiners on the bar. You still have to tell them about your past criminal record.

He may pass the character and fitness exam, but then again, he may not. And he will definately have a harder time. And NO, some schools won't touch him simply because of this issue. Adcoms don't matter at this point anyway. When you have a drug charge, its the BAR you should be worried about.

And I'm a recent grad who RECENTLY WENT THROUGH THIS ENTIRE CHARACTER AND FITNESS PROCESS. So I do have a clue about what I'm talking about. I suggest you actually research an issue before YOU talk about it. God you're such a D-bag.

If it makes you feel any better, consider that most of the addcoms have probably broken marijuana and alcohol laws when they were younger (if they're not still doing it, as many professional people do) they just didn't get caught.  Its not like theft or assault or heroin trafficing or any sort of crime that anyone but a conservative takes very seriously and most admissions people are not conservatives. 

You need to do some community work. Maybe tell kids about the dangers of drug use.

There aren't any substantial dangers from pot use...

...except getting arrested for engaging in a totally victimless activity...

How did you (the OP) manage to do that anyways?

I'm being perfectly serious here. This is much more different than if you would have had these charges at 16. I recommend calling the State Board of Bar examiners in the jurisdiction in which you want to ultimately practice and see what they think off the top of their head.

Oh come on, using marijuana more than three years before JD graduation wont disqualify someone from working in the FBI let alone a state bar. 

We're not talking about marijuana USE here. This isn't some esoteric debate about "is it really harmful" we're talking about a marijuana conviction. Two totally different things when it comes to bar admissions. He WILL have an uphill battle. I don't care how you try to frame it. Its not going to be as simple as just filling out a bar application. He'll have to do some extra things. AND some states WILL NOT admit him since it was so recent.

I'm just trying to offer some realistic advice here. I'm sorry if some of your OPINONS were hurt by FACT. I think the OP wanted some real analysis, not some candy sugar coated bull that you see everywhere on this useless board.

[Sell Out]

Only advice I would give, on top of what has already been given in this thread, is to get your record expunged. If the convictions occurred in Illinois, it is a very fairly simple process. Good luck.

Record expungement doesn't matter for the Board of Bar Examiners. You still have to tell them about it.

Honestly, since these were so recent, you may have some trouble. Some schools won't touch you. Its really the pot charge that is the hang up. The MIP isn't a big deal at all. You do know that you also may be inelligible for government loans because of the pot charge right?

Some State Bars may not certify you either. (i.e. Florida)

You are 100% wrong with everything you said.

1) You get an expungment to show you have moved past the issue, grown up and taken steps to rectify the mistake.

2) A pot charge does not mean poo. If it is not a felony, he will not only get into law school, but he will pass the bar.

3) Don't give advice if you are clueless.

You aren't even a 1L, I can tell by your responses, yet you are giving advice about what is a concern and what is not a concern with the bar. Attorneys won't even give the kind of advice you are, unless they are character and fitness examiners.

Actually I'm a hundred percent RIGHT about what I said. An expungement DOES NOT matter for the character and fitness examiners on the bar. You still have to tell them about your past criminal record.

He may pass the character and fitness exam, but then again, he may not. And he will definately have a harder time. And NO, some schools won't touch him simply because of this issue. Adcoms don't matter at this point anyway. When you have a drug charge, its the BAR you should be worried about.

And I'm a recent grad who RECENTLY WENT THROUGH THIS ENTIRE CHARACTER AND FITNESS PROCESS. So I do have a clue about what I'm talking about. I suggest you actually research an issue before YOU talk about it. God you're such a D-bag.

If it makes you feel any better, consider that most of the addcoms have probably broken marijuana and alcohol laws when they were younger (if they're not still doing it, as many professional people do) they just didn't get caught.  Its not like theft or assault or heroin trafficing or any sort of crime that anyone but a conservative takes very seriously and most admissions people are not conservatives. 

You need to do some community work. Maybe tell kids about the dangers of drug use.

There aren't any substantial dangers from pot use...

...except getting arrested for engaging in a totally victimless activity...

How did you (the OP) manage to do that anyways?

I'm being perfectly serious here. This is much more different than if you would have had these charges at 16. I recommend calling the State Board of Bar examiners in the jurisdiction in which you want to ultimately practice and see what they think off the top of their head.

Oh come on, using marijuana more than three years before JD graduation wont disqualify someone from working in the FBI let alone a state bar. 

We're not talking about marijuana USE here. This isn't some esoteric debate about "is it really harmful" we're talking about a marijuana conviction. Two totally different things when it comes to bar admissions. He WILL have an uphill battle. I don't care how you try to frame it. Its not going to be as simple as just filling out a bar application. He'll have to do some extra things. AND some states WILL NOT admit him since it was so recent.

I'm just trying to offer some realistic advice here. I'm sorry if some of your OPINONS were hurt by FACT. I think the OP wanted some real analysis, not some candy sugar coated bull that you see everywhere on this useless board.

Burn.

[theprocrastinator]

*DISCLAIMER: Nothing below should be taken as professional legal advice*

Marijuana misdemeanor is no biggie. I know plenty of lawyers with 'em. Hell, I know a guy who got 2 DUIs while IN law school and was still admitted and another guy who had a felony arrest for cocaine (guilty plea but no conviction b/c of first time user statute) 2 years before he started law school and managed to get admitted to one of the most conservative bars in the country.

Its not going to look good of course, and nobody can promise that you won't have a problem being admitted, but if you don't @#!* up again and make sure that you take some positive steps in your life that you can point to in arguing that you have matured, than you should be fine.

I wouldn't worry about admissions. I find it hard to believe that any school (besides maybe Regent, Liberty, Ave Maria, and other schools that you should stay away from like the plague anyway) would deny you admission because of a marijuana misdemeanor. In any case, your real concern should be the bar because your JD isn't going to mean male private part if you can't get licensed.

Also, Budlaw is right that you have to disclose expunged records to the Board of Bar Examiners, but the other poster was wisely recommending expungement as a way to show that you have put the whole thing behind you, not as a way to hide what happened from the Board.

[Budlaw]

*DISCLAIMER: Nothing below should be taken as professional legal advice*

Marijuana misdemeanor is no biggie. I know plenty of lawyers with 'em. Hell, I know a guy who got 2 DUIs while IN law school and was still admitted and another guy who had a felony arrest for cocaine (guilty plea but no conviction b/c of first time user statute) 2 years before he started law school and managed to get admitted to one of the most conservative bars in the country.

Its not going to look good of course, and nobody can promise that you won't have a problem being admitted, but if you don't @#!* up again and make sure that you take some positive steps in your life that you can point to in arguing that you have matured, than you should be fine.

I wouldn't worry about admissions. I find it hard to believe that any school (besides maybe Regent, Liberty, Ave Maria, and other schools that you should stay away from like the plague anyway) would deny you admission because of a marijuana misdemeanor. In any case, your real concern should be the bar because your JD isn't going to mean male private part if you can't get licensed.

Also, Budlaw is right that you have to disclose expunged records to the Board of Bar Examiners, but the other poster was wisely recommending expungement as a way to show that you have put the whole thing behind you, not as a way to hide what happened from the Board.

You're right. All I was saying was that an expungement wouldn't matter if you were trying to hide your conviction. It is a positive step. "Dontquestionme" took it to be a personal attack, and then tried to tell me I don't know crap about the issue.  Its not an easy thing that the OP faces. I was trying to be realistic. If d-bag "dontquestionme" would have read what I actually said he would have saw that I said it would be possible, but the OP faced some challenges.

And one more thing. Getting a record expunged in Illinois isn't so easy. It will be 5 years from this August (once he gets off supervision) before the OP can even think about getting his record expunged. AND only if he doesn't have any other convictions. Here's a couple of helpful links:

http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/brochures/expunge0204h.pdf

http://www.odos.uiuc.edu/sls/forms%5CInformationOnExpungementAndSealingRecords.pdf

Who doesn't know what they're talking about now "dontquestionme?" Not so simple a process as you think huh? But you would have knew this if you would have researched the matter instead of spouting off like a petulant child.

So f*ck off d-bag.

[DontQuestionMe]

Actually I'm a hundred percent RIGHT about what I said. An expungement DOES NOT matter for the character and fitness examiners on the bar. You still have to tell them about your past criminal record.

He may pass the character and fitness exam, but then again, he may not. And he will definately have a harder time. And NO, some schools won't touch him simply because of this issue. Adcoms don't matter at this point anyway. When you have a drug charge, its the BAR you should be worried about.

And I'm a recent grad who RECENTLY WENT THROUGH THIS ENTIRE CHARACTER AND FITNESS PROCESS. So I do have a clue about what I'm talking about. I suggest you actually research an issue before YOU talk about it. God you're such a D-bag.

Wow, you really are clueless. Unless you scan and post your bar card, I will not believe you. I will call you out, you are a liar.

I personally spoke with a member of the Michigan Character and Fitness Committee about this issue, you are wrong wrong wrong.

1) Expungment shows you have moved past the issue and done something about it.

2) You are a retard. 

[DontQuestionMe]

We're not talking about marijuana USE here. This isn't some esoteric debate about "is it really harmful" we're talking about a marijuana conviction. Two totally different things when it comes to bar admissions. He WILL have an uphill battle. I don't care how you try to frame it. Its not going to be as simple as just filling out a bar application. He'll have to do some extra things. AND some states WILL NOT admit him since it was so recent.

I'm just trying to offer some realistic advice here. I'm sorry if some of your OPINONS were hurt by FACT. I think the OP wanted some real analysis, not some candy sugar coated bull that you see everywhere on this useless board.

I am laughing. I talked to a member of the state of Michigan Character and Fitness committee who told me if every attorney who has been convicted of possession of pot, dui, etc. were not admitted to the bar, there would be no attorneys. He said that was true in all state. He went on to say that "kids" who haven't even started 1L shouldn't be giving opinions on online message boards. 

[DontQuestionMe]

And one more thing. Getting a record expunged in Illinois isn't so easy.

You retard, I just had something expunged in Illinois and it took all of about 30 seconds for a judge to the sign the order, the order to be sent off to the state police, local police and city attorney. You are such a fricken joke. Stop giving advice you retard. I didn't even have to supply background information or tell the Judge why I wanted the expungment. I am seriously laughing at you right now. You are an idiot.

[suchgreatheights]

But, DontQuestionMe, you seem to be ignoring the indisputable FACT that Budlaw MUST be right because he punctuates his posts with ALLCAPS whereas you, at least initially, managed to respond more calmly