Expert: Jim Pastore - 9/13/2009

Question
I live in Minnesota now and I am 28 yrs old but I liver in Hamilton Ohio my whole life until I was 19 anyways my mother and step father were going through a nasty divorce at the time and my momn was not home me and my step father father got into a heated arguement about how he said I had no rights to anything in the house anymore since him and my mom were divorcing and he yelled at me for trying to use the microwave to heat up my dinner.We started to argue and yell at each other and I walked away but he thought he would try to get back at my mom and he called the cops on me saying I said things to him which I never did  cause I walked away from the situation and he thought this would be a good way to hurt my mom. .So when the cops came they arrested me for disorderly conduct I was so confused. I am now trying to become a law enforcement officer in the state of minnesota and I am starting skills next semester. On the skills application it says you can be disqualified for disorderly conduct (re: vulnerable adult) I know he was not a vulnerable adult or anything like that but my question is can i still become a law enforcement officer. the charge happened when I was 19 yrs old

Answer
Chris,

   In my opinion the key " you can be disqualified" it does not say you will be. So my best advise is be completely truthful, get a statement or something from the attorney you had at the time. Departments understand that people make mistakes when they are young. Hopefully you will get someone who is understanding and believes your side. There is no guarantee one way or the other. Honesty is always the best policy.

Good Luck

Jim