<p>I am a senior in college about to graduate in May and I just started applying to graduate schools. When I was a 19 and a sophomore in college I was arrested for underage drinking and drunk in public. I hired an attorney to represent me in the case and after doing community service and an alcohol education class the charges were dismissed and thrown out. On the applications it asks have I have been convicted, plead guilty to, or forfeited bail to any criminal conduct and I answered 'no' because I did not plead guilty. But all of the schools state that they perform background checks. My question is will this show up on my criminal record? I know that if they ask if I have ever been arrested then I have to say yes, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it, but if they ask if I have ever plead guilty or been convicted of any crime I say can say no. Thanks in advance for any help.</p>
<p>First, the language on your charge and on the application are very important here. While you clearly know the end result of your case, make sure that at no point were you convicted or required to plead guilty - I believe that in many areas one of these does in fact occur even if the charge is dismissed later, and if that is the case then you lied on your application.</p>
<p>Second, it depends again on the laws where you were charged. If the charges were indeed dismissed then the background check will come back clean, and that is the usual result of such programs.</p>
<p>Finally… it probably does not matter either way. Most schools are not that rigorous on the background check, most that are will not care that much about a single case of underage drinking, and almost all will accept that your applciation statement was satisfactory given the circumstances.</p>
<p>I think you are fine.</p>
<p>You should check with the attorney just to be sure. It sounds like he pleaded down to a lesser charge so you are not guilty of the original charge but there might be an agreement to a lesser charge, which you are guilty. (Good news) if there was a crime hopefully it has been expunged by now. A good attorney will build it into the plead down. GL</p>