If I wasn’t convicted of a crime, do I need to claim it on a job application?
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If I wasn’t convicted of a crime, do I need to claim it on a job application?
I was a possession of a controlled substance 9 years ago. The application asks if I was convicted of a crime other than a routine traffic violation. I called the district court office and they said it didn’t show up as a felony or misdemeanor and said I was never convicted. They couldn’t give me a case number either.
Asked on October 21, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, Alaska
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
An arrest, or even being charged with a crime, is *not* the same as being convicted. To be convicted you must have been convicted after a trial or pled guilty (pleading guilty is legally identical to, or the same thing as, being convicted). You have to answer the employment questionaire honestly, but if you were never convicted after a trial and never pled guilty, you can answer the question "no."
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