misdemeanor case dismissed can employer deny me a job
years ago I was in a store with my step sister, as we were leaving we were stopped and taken to a room where they asked us what we had stolen. I didn't know what was going on anyway I guess my step sister had stolen underwear. They accused us of shop lifting and took our picture at the store gave us paperwork to sign stating we had to pay X amount of money to their corporate headquarters and they wouldn't hand this matter over to the prosecutor unless we didn't pay, but we were never arrested. They gave me a piece of paper stating I had 90 days to pay the store $250 and charges wouldn't be filed against me, so I did just that. 3 months after I paid it I received a letter stating I was being prosecuted for misdemeanor criminal conversion. I hired a lawyer and it was dismissed because of double jeopardy, I had already paid money to the store and they stated they wasn't going to prosecute if I paid them. Everything was dismissed and I never thought anything more about it. A few years passed and I started college for Criminal Justice, they made it loud and clear that we could have no record of any kind, so I thought that because it was dismissed I had nothing to worry about. I did a background check on myself just to be sure, one thing showed up and of course it was criminal conversion dismissed, so I had to go to the county it happened at get documents from the police report etc. I even asked the woman who helped me if this could be held against me, she said she didn't see how. I decided to go see a lawyer to ask what could be done about the situation, he said I could have it expunged off my record, I didn't understand why I would have to do that because I was never found guilty in a court of law and it was dismissed by a judge. I paid $750 to my lawyer and 2yrs. Later he is still working on this case. My major problem is I just got excepted into nursing school and they only except 20 students a year, I get good grades plus I work, go to school full time and I am a single parent at 37 years old. My problem is they are getting ready to run a background check on all of us who got into the nursing program and I am afraid this will show up and I did nothing wrong to be put in this situation except take my now ex step sister to a department store and had know idea that she was going to do such a thing. Now I am scared to death that my future may be washed down the drain. I can't afford for this to happen I have 2 girls, my daughters relying on me to get my nursing degree so that I can provide a better and more secure life for them. How can something that happened 10 years ago still haunt me and possibly ruin my life. Does anyone know if having criminal conversion charge dismissed by judge will have an impact on me keeping my seat in the nursing program, I know last year I was hired at a county jail as a jailer while attending a university for criminal justice I was suppose to start a month after my hire date when I got an unexpected phone call stating that my job was going to be put on hold until further notice, they never said why but hired in a lot more people since and even hired a guy in during that month I was suppose to start who was less qualified than I was, I am now wondering if it is because of the criminal conversion thing that was dismissed. I was so afraid my criminal justice career was shot to heck I changed my major to nursing. How can they hold that against me obviously a judge determined I wasn't guilty of it, I never even had to step one foot into a court room once the judge heard the story and realized it was a waist of time to charge and prosecute me for such a crime. It was a misdemeanor and it was dismissed. Can anyone help me answer these questions.