I am leaving out some identifying information in this post.
I am currently doing my doctoral degree in Aerospace under a Governmental fellowship.
This past week, I was arrested on several charges of harassment (class 3 misdemeanor), prevention of telephone service (class 1 misdemeanor - the highest level for misdemeanors). If I am convicted of either/both charges, a domestic violence charge will be added because these charges were alleged to occur during a domestic relations situation. There was no physical contact of any sort. In the state of my arrest, an arrest is mandatory in a domestic relations 911 call, regardless of the situation. A couple could be arguing (not even yelling) and if the police are called on them, someone will be required to be arrested. All domestic relations arrests in my state requires the accused to remain in jail overnight and an automatic protection order mandated by the court. I was let out the next day on a bond that only needs to be paid if I do not comply with court instructions.
This is the first time I have ever gotten in to trouble, so I have not had any criminal history until now, if I am found guilty. I have not been convicted with the crimes. For now, they are alleged until I’m proven guilty in court. I won’t state on here whether or not I think I will be found guilty or innocent, but I want to speak from a worst scenario PoV.
Worst case scenario is I am convicted of the class 1 misdemeanor, which could potentially result in jail time, but my attorney said it is highly unlikely given my background and the severity of the alleged issue. I am extremely worried that this potential conviction may prevent me from working in the aerospace (particularly space) industry. I would like to work for NASA or Lockheed Martin Space Systems after graduation.
Anyone know if this may affect my employment down the road in the aerospace industry if I am convicted of the alleged crimes? Could it also be grounds for expulsion from my graduate program and/or funding source? I am not aware of how security clearances, background checks, and criminal records work when it comes to employment in this industry. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
GnocchiB,
Thanks. I have an attorney, however he is not familiar with the aerospace industry and the questions I posed. He suggested that I have an earnest discussion with my graduate adviser to discuss the potential implications.
However, I am not prepared to do that as of yet. This is an embarrassing situation for me, and i don’t want to disclose or discuss it until the court case is settled.
Your adviser and attorney will be the best people to talk to. My dad works in the industry and said he wouldn’t hire someone with a record. It will also be an issue when it comes time for security clearances. Best of luck.
Is your attorney an expert in the charges you are facing? Any chance the charges will be/could be dropped? This seems potentially serious in terms of long term fallout , regardless of type of employment. You need good representation. Is counseling, some kind of diversion program available where you are for a first time offense? Employers might overlook something like a youthful underage drinking offense ( and that usually shouldn’t preclude getting a security clearance) , but other charges can be more problematic. The process for a top secret security clearance is pretty thorough. Good luck. I’m sure this is stressful. Whatever you do, do not repeat any behaviors that led to these charges to begin with.
Yes. I actually have 2 separate attorneys. One for the criminal court case, and one for another issue (civil, non criminal issue) that I am experiencing with the same party. The two are tightly coupled. I really can’t comment on the charges being dropped or not. This is extremely stressful. Sorry, I can’t be too specific because I don’t want to accidentally put out information that can be used to incriminate me. I actually just found out yesterday, that this person who works in my county’s district attorney’s office is a frequent poster on another forum I frequently use.
Most employment applications will ask (at least they used to) if you have ever been arrested and so you will answer to that. Given that it would be a misdemeanor infraction, it shouldn’t be such a big deal especially if it never comes up again.
Reading the federal guidelines for security clearances, it looks like there should be no problem there also.
I work in the industry and I have a misdemeanor conviction (and yes, a clearance). There are two potential issues on the clearance side:
Honesty/openness. If you try to conceal what happened or look like you could be blackmailed to keep parts of it secret, you will be denied. And they will find out.
Stability. If this is recent, they may well very reluctant to grant you a clearance until this incident is a few years in the rear view mirror. They don’t want to grant a clearance to someone currently doing this kind of thing, you will need to convince them that it was temporary and not current.
As to being hired in the first place, it does put you at a disadvantage… just like it would for any professional employer. The fact that you might also be denied a clearance is probably a small issue compared to your basic employability. Again, you need to convince them that it was a temporary issue and that you are past it, and there is no better indicator of this than time.
I would not worry about your academic program. So long as you are able to meet your obligations, like taking or teaching courses, they won’t care about the conviction.
I’ve had secret and top secret clearances while in the Air Force and working for aerospace companies. I remember a few people with secret clearances who had misdemeanor convictions. I’d think it would be hard to get a top secret clearance with any kind of recent (within 10 years?) domestic violence record, although most jobs wouldn’t require a clearance that high.