2 January, 2020
Many individuals often brush a misdemeanor under the carpet. However, the truth be told, such convictions can have serious repercussions in future. Gone are the days when people would easily escape a conviction during a job process. In today’s time, companies and many other platforms take critical steps to ensure that a person has no criminal background. Most people tend to disguise felonies as misdemeanors. Although there is a significant difference between the two. Felony is often acknowledged as a serious crime, but a misdemeanor is known as a minor crime. The main difference between the two is of the potential criminal sentence that is announced by the court. People who are charged with a misdemeanor sentence can be imprisoned as well. This sentence might stretch from 6 months to 1 year. Here, in this discussion, we will guide you through a few negative affects you will have to face after getting charged with a misdemeanor or a felony:
1. Being Unable To Find a White Collar Job
This is the first most concrete negative effect you will have to face after getting charged with a criminal offence.
Furthermore, if you’re already working in a well reputable company, higher are the chances that you will get sacked from your job. Most companies that offer white-collar jobs conduct background checks to ensure the veracity of a person’s innocent past. However,
if you carry the tag of being a criminal in the past, you will very likely end up being unemployed. A few years back, people would easily get a conviction eradicated from their documents. In today’s time, governments are uptight about personal documents and are working relentlessly to remove fraudulent practices.
2. Unable to Get Admission in a Reputable College/University
Education is essential in today’s time when the market is flooded with lucrative job offers. It is pivotal for you to have a bachelor’s degree to gain entrance in a well reputable firm. However, chances will get lower if you’ll have a criminal charge in your documents.
This is why a lot of students have to compromise on their academic career despite having enough money to afford any academic institution they want to get admission in. Although there are several colleges and universities, which don’t conduct background checks. There is a significant percentage of institutions that has strict criteria for prospective students. Therefore you must keep away from a criminal offence as a young person.
3. Cancellation of Driving License
Even having a minor violation of the traffic rules carries repercussions. Secondly, if you’re drinking under the influence of alcohol or drinking when intoxicated, the traffic police will hound you as soon as they are skeptical. Only if you have a good lawyer to defend you, can you escape such a conviction? Otherwise, you'll have to serve a specific time in jail. The best way to cop out of such a situation is to hire a professional attorney who has hands-on experience of helping people in such cases. Look for a suitable attorney within your hometown. For instance, if you’re from Texas, you must google Fort Worth DWI Lawyer to get a list of all veterans working in that area.
4. Getting Divorced From Your Spouse
Not to forget, a criminal conviction is a public information. This means anyone can learn about a criminal charge that you’ve been convicted with. Many couples split every year when one of the partners is accused of a criminal conviction. For many, it affects their relationship that ends up in a nasty divorce. You will be shocked to know, millions of people divorce every year as a result of alcohol and drug charges. Though it is easy to get rid of a conviction, most families find it difficult to get through such a situation.
5. Issues with Immigration
People who are not a part of the country they’re living in might find themselves in trouble after getting charged with a misdemeanor or a felony. Such people are often deported back to their hometowns if the charge is serious enough. Secondly, in some cases, the situation gets worse when people are sentenced for over a decade and life imprisonment. For immigrants, it is essential to have complete documents to register their stay as legal in the host country. Getting charged with a serious felony means you could easily be taken out of the state at any moment.
6. Being Unable to Find a House on Rent
If you live in a big city where the rental amount is very high, you could easily end up being unable to find no flat with a criminal charge on your head. Gone are the days when people would give the house to tenants without a background check. With the rise in criminal activities, homeowners are cautious enough and despise renting out their homes without making sure the other party has no criminal offence recorded in their papers. If you’re trying to contour in a big city, homeowners might often demand a character certificate to ensure there’s no issue.
7. Loan Request Getting Denied
No one can deny the fact that all of us are struggling with financial issues in today’s time. Thanks to financial institutions that provide a different kind of loans to people so they can get rid of financial problems. Although getting a loan from the bank is not as easy as it sounds. Yes, there are multiple institutions, which might relax a few restrictions but mainstream banks conduct a background check on the person to confirm his/her ability to repay the loan amount. So if you’re one of those who have a criminal charge on his head, don’t expect the bank to approve your loan request. Always check with a professional lawyer to get rid of such issues when applying for a loan.
8. Being Denied Entry in Different Countries
You will be surprised to know that if a visitor is charged with minor misconduct in Canada, he/she has to apply for a National Pardon otherwise the country won't allow re-entry. Similarly, every country has varying rules for visitors. Some of them even ban immigrants from visiting if they are accused of several kinds of criminal activities. So next time you plan to visit a new state for holidays, make sure you get rid of any criminal conviction. People who get charged with felonies and misdemeanor, often engage with a personal attorney to get rid of the charge so they can travel.
9. Cutting Off from Social Ties
It is common for people to ostracize criminals from their social circle even if the charge hasn’t been proven. As a society, we all tend to cut off from a person who registers even little space in the courtroom. This can lead to a person’s self-esteem getting hurt, which eventually transitions into depression and other mental health disorders. If you are facing such an issue, it is essential to stay strong and now try to justify yourself. Getting charged with a felony or misdemeanor is tough but one can certainly make it through with a good lawyer.
10. House Arrest
Though it is not common in today’s time. A lot of people are confined by authorities to their residence. House arrest is an alternative to imprisonment when it doesn’t seem suitable. This way, a person cannot work, meet people or even leave the premises of the house. Furthermore, the person doesn’t have any access to communication or the outside world. House arrest is often acknowledged as home confinement and was very popular during the time of authoritarian governments. Remember Galileo? He was confined to house arrest back in the 15th century following his infamous trial. Similarly, a lot of people serve house arrest every year.
11. Loss of Reputation
As discussed, criminal records are made public, which means that anyone can learn about them. For instance, if you’ve been convicted of a serious felony, the police station will have a picture of yours encrusted on their walls. Furthermore, if a person is a public figure, things can become more intense as the media tends to scrutinize everything. Throughout the process of a legal proceeding, a person’s reputation is tarnished, which is very damaging. Most people often lose friends and family members during such time. Unless a person isn't proven guilty, the whole world continues to hound him/her.
12. Sentence of Life Imprisonment and Being Charged with a Hefty Fine
This is the first concrete negative effect of being charged with a criminal offence. Failing to appear innocent after a trial will result in the court asking you to pay a hefty fine and staying in jail for a few months. This is very damaging for some people as they have to cut off from work, family and social life. A lot of people often develop mental health disorders. In severe cases, people often die of sudden heart strokes and the panic attack in jails. Therefore it is essential to hire a suitable attorney to present you in the courts of law.
Amy Rehan is a guest post manager at Globex Outreach. Her job is to ensure all guest post projects are completed on time and according to client’s requirement