My question involves a background check in the States of: FL and CA
I was a successful sales employee at a large public company until I got arrested for a possession charge. The charges were quickly dropped (no formal charges, no conviction), but the company found out and told me that I could either resign or would be fired. I chose to resign.
I live in FL, and I have been interviewing with three other companies headquartered in Florida and California and wonder what the process SHOULD entail. I have read that some states cannot ask you about arrests prior to an offer. However, if they do run a background before the offer, can they make a hiring decision based on the dismissed charge (I know they can do anything they want, but can they legally say it is b/c of the charge?) If they decide not to make an offer, do they still have to provide a letter stating why? I know that different states have different laws and I have not found a good resource.
My hope is that I first receive a formal offer, then when they run the check, I can explain the details and will hopefully still be hired based on the fact that there was no conviction.
To summarize, I am looking for guidance on how this SHOULD be handled by prospective employers in FL and CA. Any help is greatly appreciated!

