Does Minor in Possession Make a Difference to Employers

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Virginia

I received an Underage Possession ticket when I was 19 and in college. I have since graduated and I am pursuing a career in defense contracting in the DC area. The company I am interviewing with next week has asked me to list any convictions I hold other than minor traffic tickets. Now here is where the question gets interesting.

I received my ticket while riding in a car with a driver who was 100% sober. He had too many people in his vehicle and received reckless driving, while the underage passengers all received underage possession. When the judge heard the details of our case, he administered community service requirements, no fine, and no alcohol class requirement. I completed my hours on time, turned them in, and have not received any further convictions(this is the only thing possibly on my record). I believe the charge was acquitted (crossed off) but I'm not sure.

So, do I list this prior conviction, and explain the details? Or do I claim to have no prior convictions? This position does not require an official security clearance. Is there a way I can check the status of this charge? It's a fine line that I'm on and I don't want to make a stupid mistake that could potentially cost me my employment.

Thanks

If they do background checks, they will see the conviction. If you put "No" next to that question, well....what do you think your chances of being hired will be? I, myself, would put "Yes" and hope it didn't come up in the interview. It may end up being up to the interviewer as to whether they should take a chance on you...

Will they take a chance on you? Who knows...On the other hand, you may get the job, stay there for a long time and rise to management. Someone may task you with the responsibility of interviewing people for jobs...What would *you* do, if you saw that on the application? Dismiss them out of hand? Or understand enough, from personal experience, to take a look at them (providing they were otherwise qualified for the job)and see whats what with them?

Ultimately, it's up to you...are you comfortable with lying?

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Ultimately, it's up to you...are you comfortable with lying?

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More to the point, are you comfortable with getting bounced out on your ear if your employer finds out that you lied?

You need to check your criminal record. It's easily done by visiting the court clerk in the county in which you were sentenced to get instructions for pulling your record. Sometimes you can even check online.

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Quoting LawResearcherMissy

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More to the point, are you comfortable with getting bounced out on your ear if your employer finds out that you lied?

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Yes! What she said! That's what I meant to ask!

Thanks for the replies. I guess what I really want to know is how I go about checking my record as I'm not sure this charge ever showed up officially because of the circumstances. I currently live elsewhere so accessing them in person might be difficult. Do you know of any sites that do this for free or can I check over the phone?

I didn't mean to insinuate that I was planning on lying. Rather, if my record is actually clean, there is no need to mention this minor speed bump in an otherwise perfect background. If I can't access these records in time, I will probably just bring it up to the recruiter and explain the circumstances. I know they will appreciate honesty over trying to get around a non issue. The job application does note that minor offenses won't be grounds for automatic disregard and they give you a few lines to explain the situation. This was my only offense. Thanks again for the responses.

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Do you know of any sites that do this for free or can I check over the phone?

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Call the Clerk for instructions.

It varies from county to county. In my county, you can check your records online. The next county over makes you show up in person.

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If I can't access these records in time, I will probably just bring it up to the recruiter and explain the circumstances. I know they will appreciate honesty over trying to get around a non issue. The job application does note that minor offenses won't be grounds for automatic disregard and they give you a few lines to explain the situation.

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Generally speaking, most employers don't give a toss about an MIP, but the DO get upset about lying on your application. So, yes, if you can't confirm, mention it to the recruiter, explain that you were an idiot kid, and that you did your community service and have stayed out of trouble since then.

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Quoting Hershebh

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I believe the charge was acquitted (crossed off) but I'm not sure.

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http://www.courts.state.va.us/caseinfo/

Find out.