Juvie Record Dilemma

Hi everyone,

I have been hanging around this forum for a while and have read the posts of individuals in similar situations like myself. I was sort of a "lost" and stressed teen. When I was 16, I made a terrible decision and drove under the influence of alcohol and was "convicted" of a DUI. Now several years later, I have completed the first year of my BSN program and am pondering the ramifications of my past history. I have been clean since with no other legal encounters. My public defender at the time told me I would NEVER have to answer "yes" to questions asking, "Have you ever been convicted of a crime?" This is because when you commit a crime as a minor, it is not a conviction, but rather an abjucation. He also told me that my record would be permanently sealed at the age of 18 and any background checks I undergo would not be able to pry into my juvie record. It has been >7yrs and the DUI is off my DMV record.

So my dilemma is... Are you supposed to answer yes to to a conviction (even if it is a juvie abjucation...as in my case) when applying for licensure? I know this is a question for the BRN, however, I have had little success so far in trying to get hold of the appropriate person. I am just wondering if anyone with a juvenile record has said they had no prior convictions only to find out that something did come up on a finger print background. I am not worried about being denied licensure. By the time I am board eligible, it will have been 10 yrs since the incident. I just don't want to admit to my past history if it really does not need to be mentioned.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this post.