Trouble in MO

[svorn]

So, I'm in a pickle. Back in 2019, I was en route to my travel assignment in MO. I was pulled over by state police for "driving in the left lane without immediately passing a vehicle" the officer says. Though I distinctly remember I was approaching a semi-truck to pass about 300 yards away. But whatever, the damage was already done. He asks for my license and registration and asks the usual questions like where I'm from and where I'm headed and why. So I tell him. He goes back to his car to run info, comes back, and says, "I smell marijuana in the car. So you can either tell me where it is now or I'll get the canine unit out here to find it, and you really don't want that." I initially denied it of course. He ends up telling me to sit in the passenger seat of his cruiser while he goes to search. He finds a very small amount, like maaaybe 3 g. I had also happened to buy 2 packages of rilos before leaving, which was found also. I'm obviously completely hysterical and sobbing at this point telling the cop I'm a nurse and this will ruin my license, etc etc. To which he tells me that the 2 tickets he's issuing me (1 for possession and 1 for paraphernalia) are nothing more than the equivalent of a speeding ticket. I retained a criminal defense attorney in MO and he was able to get 1 charge dropped and the other pled down to littering with a 2 year deferred adjudication clause as long as I didn't acquire any new offenses in that time frame. My question now is how will that show on a background check for future employers? I'm curious if hospitals/clinics just see littering or the 2 original charges also? I haven't self-reported to the board until I talked to an attorney in the state I live in (AR), but haven't been financially able to explore that avenue just yet being the sole bread winner in the family. I also learned from the attorney in MO that apparently a littering charge is a civil citation in MO, but is considered a class A misdemeanor in AR. Any advice or opinions are greatly appreciated in how I can best navigate this debacle. ? 

[NamasteLVN, LPN, LVN]

You might need to get original charges expunged off your record 

[TriciaJ, RN]

You are essentially asking for legal advice which none of us is qualified to provide.  (Even a lawyer among us would need to see all your paperwork.)  Since legal charges are public information, can you look yourself up to see what shows up?

 To try to find some peace of mind while you get it all sorted, reread the fine print on both BON websites.  You might find it reassuring or not, or you might find some talking points in case you need to defend your license.

I hope both BONs have better fish to fry.  Good luck.

 

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Please seek the advice of your legal council. TAANA may be an additional resource for you to decide your path forward. As the members of allnurses are unable to provide the legal advice required, thread is now closed.