QUESTION
Apllying to jobs: Had a deferred sentence in 2008
Asked on Jan 17th, 2014 on Criminal Law - South Carolina
More details to this question:
In 2008 I had to go to court for a misdemeanor simple possession charge, although I was not physically arrested (no jail, finger prints, mug shorts, etc.) I recently graduated from college and am currently applying to jobs. The application prompts: Have you ever been convicted of any law violation other than a traffic violation? I was just wondering if I should answer yes or no to this question? I satisfactorily completed my deferred sentence which was a period of about 6 months with the provision that I do not incur any other criminal charges. I have subsequently not been in any further legal issues.
1 ANSWER
You should check your criminal record and see what it says. You can run it through SLED and it costs about $25. Once you have your criminal record, look to see what it says about that charge. If there is nothing that says you were convicted, then you most likely haven't been convicted. Usually with a deferred sentence, they hold your case open for six months or so, and if no other arrests happen, they usually dismiss the case. Your criminal record check should tell you whether there is a conviction or not. You could also call the prosecutor's office where you were arrested and see if they will tell you how the case was disposed. They may or may not tell you, but it won't hurt to ask.
Answered on Jan 21st, 2014 at 3:29 PM