Juvie Record Dilemma

[SunStillShining]

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.

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

questions we seem to be encountering more and more often have to do with the effects of a criminal history on nursing licensure:

• is it possible to become licensed as a nurse if you have a criminal history and if so, can i get a job?
  
• is it possible to become licensed as a nurse if you have a mip, dui, or other related charges?
  
• what happens if you are charged or convicted of a crime after licensure?
  
• can i go to nursing school and/or be licensed/be employed if my record has been sealed or expunged?
  
• what if i have a “deferred adjudication”? will i have to declare this as a conviction?
  
• will i be able to go to nursing school and/or attend clinicals with a criminal record?
  
• what can happen if i receive a mip/dui/dwi or other charge while still in school?
  

these are questions that the members of allnurses.com cannot answer. the only reliable source of information is your state board of nursing.

if you are currently licensed as a nurse and have been charged with or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor including dui/dwi or any criminal offense, you need to contact the bon in every state you hold a license/wish to be licensed and ask their reporting requirements.

if you are a nursing student or are interested in becoming a nurse you need to contact your bon and/or your school of nursing directly. you need to be completely candid with them as to the nature and disposition of the crimes. each board of nursing makes a determination on a case by case basis and some are willing to issue a declarative statement in advance.

your bon is the only entity who can answer your questions.