Two months ago my good friend was arrested and received tickets for two paraphernalia counts, one marihuana possession charge, and one alcohol citation. He received arbitration allowing him the opportunity to have the charges dismissed and eventually expunged if he did not receive any tickets or school referrals for 90 days. After one and a half months of arbitration he was again arrested for possession and received 3 more paraphernalia charges. He is still awaiting trial but he will now have to face all the charges from both arrests in court so he is expecting the worst. He’s currently a junior. Has a 3.8 gpa, takes honors core classes and has an 1800 sat(plans to retake, hopes for 1850). What effect will this have on his college chances? Will he have to disclose the arrests? Will the admissions department see his record regardless of whether he reports it? Does he have any chane at going to college? He’s interested in Coastal Carolina.
There are currently too many unanswered questions, in my opinion, to suggest likely outcomes:
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Are these felonies, misdemeanors, or both?
What is his prior record of arrests and convictions (if any)?
Is he an adult or a minor?
In North Carolina (I am assuming that’s where these “alleged” crimes occurred), what is the normal punishment (it’s difficult to attend hgh school or college if one is incarcerated) for this series of crimes?
Are there any relevant “politics” involved (do the mayor, sheriff, and/or prosecutor have strong anti-drug positions)?
Will he (is he?) be suspended or expelled from high school (upon arrest or conviction)?
Is it his school’s policy to report criminal offenses on transcripts and/or GC’s recommendations (arrests or only convictions?)?
Is he currently suspended from school (if so, many states have statutes that require a mandatory F if a defined number of classes are missed)?
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While there are probably other pertinent questions, the foregoing provides an idea of his serious, self-inflicted problems. Furthermore, having gotten a real break through the “arbitration” process, he was incredibly foolish to do ANYTHING that risked re-arrest (especially during the defined probationary period). Judges and/or district attorneys may well not have too much sympathy – or leniency – under these circumstances.
He also needs to find out how this will affect the financial aid that he is eligible for. Some drug charges will make a person ineligible for federal aid and loans.
These are all misdemeanors. They occurred in Delaware. These are his only two arrests. He is 17. The normal punishment is probation and community service possibly rehab. He likely will not face incarceration. Many misdemeanor drug offenses are being dismissed in Delaware because the underfunded court system is overwhelmed. He met with the principle and he confirmed that they were not considering expulsion and he was not suspended (all of his offenses occurred outside of school.) im not sure if the school normally reports that but there are rules in place to assure only top level administrators are notified of his legal situation, for instance, his counselor does not have access to those records.
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Less than half of the students who matriculate at Coastal Carolina graduate within four years. This student’s pattern of behavior for the past few months is not promising. Of course there are colleges that would still accept a full-pay student, but for his own sake, he needs to seek help now for his problems.
The second arrest indicates more than just stupidity. College admin staffs might see this as a sign of addiction.
no HS guidance counselor to talk with?