Were you pulled over for suspicion of DUI? If you are facing charges or have already been convicted of a Driving Under the Influence charge, you may wonder, “Will this DUI arrest affect employment? Will it matter to my current employer or possibly in the future?”
You might have been thinking about a transfer or applying for a new job, but now you’re worried. You have a DUI on your record. Is it going to matter? That’s the question posed by many clients with DUI charges to their attorneys. Here, take a look at how a DUI arrest can affect your employment.
How Does A DUI Arrest Affect Employment?
Will a DUI arrest derail your career? The answer in most cases is, “No.” Here, we are talking about researchers, academics, accountants, CEOs, nurses, judges, doctors, lawyers, sales associates, food workers, and more. It might seem surprising that you can maintain some of these jobs after undergoing a DUI charge or conviction. However, a DUI arrest may directly impact other jobs, such as:
- Pilots
- Elected officials (and their employees)
- CDL drivers
- Employees whose job requires them to operate a company vehicle
- Police officers
So, before you start assuming your career has come to an end due to a DUI arrest, you want to take a close look at what you do for a living. Two important considerations for whether you will be able to continue working or not after facing DUI charges or receiving a conviction are:
- Is the resolution to those charges going to require you to serve any jail time? If so, how much?
- Have you hired a lawyer who can help you pursue the ability to continue driving either through pursuing a Specialized Driving Privileges license or an alcohol monitor device?
Job Applications and DUI Arrests
As a job applicant, will your arrest reflect poorly on you during an interview or on an application? You’re probably hesitant to list the arrest on an application in case the stigma associated with it could prejudice your prospective employer against you.
You are going to have a bigger problem, however, if you make a false statement on your application or you omit the arrest. The reason? Since the employer asked you to disclose convictions, criminal charges, and arrests, they will also likely run a background check on you. Once the results of that come through, your application will be disposed of if any discrepancies show up. As you can see, even if you don’t know if it will deter a potential employer or not, it is better to be honest from the outset.
Bottom line: Don’t lie on the application or during the interview.
Dealing with a Criminal Record
If you are convicted of a DUI charge as a class A misdemeanor, a level 6 felony converted to a class A misdemeanor, or any lower DUI charge, you should be eligible for expungement of these charges from your record, and your record will be sealed. Some other important requirements for any expungement to bear in mind are:
- You must have all court costs, restitution, and outstanding fees related to the case paid off
- You cannot have current pending charges when you file for expungement, and
- You must wait the statutory required amount of time before petitioning for expungement – in the case of misdemeanors and Level 6 felonies reduced to misdemeanors, you must wait five years after you are convicted/sentenced in the matter. The benefit of the expungement process is that it prevents others from finding out that you were arrested or convicted for the given offense. Please note that not every violation can be expunged.
Regardless of the offense, it’s best to talk to an attorney who specializes in expungement.
Has Your DUI Arrest Affected Your Employment? Turn to The Law Office of Jesse K. Sanchez
Jesse K. Sanchez and the attorneys in his office have years of experience against drunk and drugged driving charges. Our office will affordably represent you as if your battle is our own. Do you need representation against pending DUI charges or your DUI conviction expunged? Talk to a member of our office to see what we can do about your situation.
