Expert: Dick Rogers - 8/30/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hey dick.. right now im currently going to school for criminal justice and im trying to become an officer.. but last year me and 6 other guys were chargged with robbery but i never got convicted of anything, because the authorities found out i didnt do anything, is there stll hope for me in the feild?

ANSWER: Josh, I cannot give you any hard answers to your question...too much is missing.  Basically, if you were arrested it sort of suggests that you are or were running with a fast crowd.  Robbery is no small matter.  If you were arrested and it came our that you had absolutely nothing to do with the robbery, then you could fairly easily explain the circumstances to the oral board.  You are doing the right thing by going to school..  Most applicants today have a college degree and putting a few years between the robbery fiasco and you college degree will add significant weight to you application.

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QUESTION: okay..so is there anything else you think i could do in the criminal justice field besides being a police officer.. my charges did get dropped and i also had being a corrections officer in mind?

Answer
The answer to your question rests on what specifically occurred during this robbery you mentioned.  Even being a corrections officer requires a relatively clean record.  The best advice I can give you is to put some distance between that arrest and when you apply.  Unless, you feel you can explain your involvement in the case, if any,...at least I get the impression you were arrested, so there must be something that needs explanation.  If you have any friends in law enforcement, you might run your circumstances by them and see if they have any insights.