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.

I have same question I live in Indiana and I am getting ready to start the nursing program in which they only except 20 students a year, so you have to be one of the best of students or you don't get in. My problem I never even went to court for a misdemeanor criminal conversion that they were trying to prosecute me for because once the judge heard the story from my lawyer they dismissed it, but I did a criminal background check on myself and it popped up this has been over 10 years ago, this Friday my school is running a criminal background check on us 20 students and I am scared this will pop up again even though it had been dismissed and I never even had to go to court for it. I am worried this is the end of my nursing career. Can anyone help, I even hired a lawyer 2 years ago to expunge this record and it just was filed this week and the prosecutor hasn't even seen the case yet and my lawyer said it could take a long time before it got expunged if they oked it. Can anyone let me know if a dismissed case in Indiana over 10 years ago hinder my chances of a career in the medical or law field, the application I checked out online for a nurse asked specifically if I had ever been convicted, charged, had a case dismissed or if I had ever had a case expunged off my record, isn't that against my rights as a person if a case is dismissed it means the judge thought it wasn't worthy or there was no evidence a crime was committed, in my case it was criminal conversion.

First its not a good idea to piggyback your question on someone else's. This can lead to confusion. You should start a new thread. So I've moved your question to its own thread.

Second, the only people who can answer this question is the review board of the nursing program. They know their standards. My question to you is whether you listed this incident on your application if the question about criminal record was asked. If you did not and it shows up, then you will have a bigger problem. If you listed it with an explanation then I would hope they move past it.

P.S. The word is ACCEPTED, not EXCEPTED. Even Nursing schools expect you to use proper english.