QUESTION
Do I need to get a citation for Public Drunkenness in PA expunged?
Asked on Nov 13th, 2014 on Litigation - Pennsylvania
More details to this question:
I recently received an offer from a large consulting firm (and I also signed the offer), and they'll be doing a background check in the near future. Up until very recently, my "criminal record" contained only one speeding ticket. However, while visiting the office of the firm, they took us out drinking. Well, long story short, I drank too much and left the bar early and tried to get back, however I was in an unfamiliar city and was unable to get back to my hotel (The next day, I asked the people I was out with if I was in bad shape, and they said I seemed to be fine, so I wasn't in any sort of belligerent or aggressive state). I received a Public Drunkenness citation for knocking on the door of a residence that wasn't mine (didn't enter, just knocked). So I spent a night in the drunk tank and they sent me on my way. Should I get this expunged? Is it likely that they'll rescind the offer because of this? Basically I'm curious as to how severely this comes across on a background check. Any help is appreciated.
1 ANSWER
3 Awards
You need to find out if you were convicted. You could have been convicted by a) checking guilty on the back of the citation and sending it in with the payment, b) checking not guilty and going to the hearing and being convicted, or c) ignoring the citation. If you were guilty you will have a summary conviction on your record which cannot be expunged until 5 years of arrest free behavior happens. If you were found not guilty or the case was withdrawn or dismissed, you still may have records which need to be expunged, and probably do. You can do this now but the process takes months before your records are destroyed. the employer may or may not find this record. IF they do, you may want to level with the employer and just tell them what happened. It is not the crime of the century.
Answered on Nov 17th, 2014 at 2:37 AM
William R. Pelger, Attorney Munhall, Pennsylvania 412-461-1900