Will a withheld adjudication keep me from jobs?
Hello,
I was convicted of a criminal offense here in Florida for theft back in 2010. I am currently attending school and in my senior year at Saint Leo University and am majoring in criminal justice with a minor in homeland security.
Adjudication was withheld from the case, but I’m scared that when I graduate, and get off probation I won’t be able to find a job in my degree field. Do you have any recommendations on what to do. I am also currently unemployed and finding a problem find a job as well.
Thanks,
Wayne
Will a withheld adjudication keep me from jobs?
Hello Wayne,
I get a lot of questions about withheld adjudication / deferred judgement. Lets understand what it means to ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs. Withheld adjudication generally refers to a decision by a judge to put a person on probation without an adjudication of guilt. There will be terms set by the court usually a fine and a period of probation. Once the terms are met, the charges are typically dropped. There will be no conviction associated with that offense. If the person does not complete the terms of probation, a finding of guilty may be entered and the person may be sentenced according to the punishments defined for the offense.
So when completing an application that asks if you “Have you ever been convicted of a crime, you can answer “no” and rightly so because you haven’t. Bear in mind that the charge will appear on a background check as a charge and not a conviction. You should have no problem with this. To absolutely certain of the status, you should check with the prosecutor or your probation officer associated with your case.
As for finding a job in Florida, I suggest you contract your nearest One-stop Career Center. There you will find a variety of services that can help you find your next job. You probably can find counselors who will work with you one-on-one to help you. You can find your nearest One-stop Career Center here:
One-stop Career Centers
I hope this helps.