When you are charged with a crime, the main thought on your mind is probably getting out of jail and resuming your normal life.
However, the time in between being charged and going to court is an important time. During this time, you should secure the help of a qualified lawyer to represent you in court.
If you don't secure this help, the chances of facing a criminal conviction are high. You may not think a criminal conviction is not a big deal, but it is. It can impact your life in many negative ways and can leave you with a lifelong record.
Problems With Professional Licenses
In America, if you are convicted of a crime, you can run into trouble with any professional licenses you may hold or wish to hold.
When you are seeking a license to do a job, whether that be to become a hairstylist, an attorney, or anything in between, you will often be asked to reveal any criminal convictions on your record. In some cases, convictions may disqualify you from receiving a license. In others, you will have to stand before a licensing board, explain your convictions, and then hope that the board still allows you to receive a license in spite of them.
If you already have a professional license of some kind, it could be revoked or limited based on the details of your conviction.
Obviously, you do not want to deal with these kinds of consequences, which is why it is in your best interest to avoid a criminal conviction if you can.
Difficulty Obtaining Custody of a Child
Another potential impact of having a criminal record is that it may impact your ability to retain custody of a child.
When people go through divorces and children are involved, hearings related to child custody and visitation will take place. A parent who has a criminal history, especially a violent one, may have a much harder time obtaining child custody or even visitation.
If you have children, then you absolutely need to do everything you can to avoid having a criminal record.
Limited Employment Opportunities
Perhaps one of the worst consequences of having a criminal record is how hard it makes getting a good job.
Most jobs will perform background checks before hiring you. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, if past criminal convictions show up on these reports, you will not be hired.
Even with employers that are willing to hire convicted criminals, the job pool is very large, and people without records are often picked over otherwise equal candidates with them. Not being able to find a good job can lead to a desperate cycle of poverty and perhaps more crime.
Difficulty Adopting Children
Just as criminal charges can make it difficult for parents to obtain custody of their children, they can also make it difficult to adopt a child.
Different agencies have different requirements for who can adopt children through them, and many agencies will not adopt to people with criminal records of any kind. Even if you can find an adoption agency that will adopt to you, birth parents may be less likely to select a convicted criminal to adopt their offspring.
Obviously, there are many consequences to having a criminal record. Aside from these listed here, you could have a hard time securing housing, getting or reinstating a driver's license, or obtaining firearms legally. Some convictions could even cause you to lose the right to vote.
The best way to avoid these problems is to avoid a criminal conviction, and the best way to do that is with quality legal representation. To get the representation you need, contact
David Naumann & Associates
as soon as possible following an arrest.