any lawyers out there?

Question

I'm filling out an application for college and I came across some ambigous questions. I was arrested when I was 16 for a misdemeanor crime in highschool (fighting). I was suspended from school. I am now 23. Would I have to answer yes* to "A" since it was in highschool? I was arrested for a dui when I was 20 ,but the case was dismissed because the lawyer never showed up to court. I never had the record expunged, would I have to answer "yes" to "C"? Is it considered a criminal proceeding? Thanks so much!!

A. Are you currently or have you ever been subject to disciplinary action for misconduct at any educational institution?
Yes No *


B. Have you ever been charged with or convicted of a felony?
Yes No *


C. In the past 10 years and including any pending charges, have you been the subject of any criminal proceeding other than a minor traffic violation?

Answer 1

You would have to answer yes to both. The first is probably not a big deal, lots of kids get in fights...if they kept everyone out of college for crap they pulled in high school there wouldn't be many folks at any university. As far as the last question, you should also answer yes...your arrest, booking, and any time you spent in jail are part of a criminal proceeding.

In reality, it's unlikely the university will be able to do a criminal background check on everyone who applys for admission, so you're most likely safe on the DUI concerning admission to college; however, if you later apply for a job that does do background checks, they may pull your college application (it's considered part of your academic record) and if you lied there, it may come back to bite you. The college will certainly ask for a copy of your high school transcript, and if the disciplinary suspension is in that record, they'll find out. Overall, my opinion is that it's better to tell the university about what hapened than for them to find out later.

Answer 2

Funny! 100!