When I was 20, I got caught stealing and got charged with theft under 5000 and a charge of assault (on the store clerk).

It would have been my first offense, but ironically by ex-bf went to the police to tell them I assaulted him. These are 2 completely separate incidents.

But because the theft situation happened after the first assault charge, I got the full treatment - a night in the police station, spending the time to wait for first court with some really shady individuals and the like.

Anyway, the first assault charge (bf) got dropped (peace bond). The theft and second assault charge (store clerk) got an absolute discharge. 5 years later I am applying for an accounting related job in a big company who wants to do a background check.

An absolute discharge gets erased from the police database 1 year after the last court date, and it is not considered a conviction. HOWEVER, I am still worried that a potential employer might see these charges come up.

Did anybody have any experience with a similar situation? I have no idea what a police check looks like when it comes back to the employer. And I don't know whether certain charges are considered relevant even if they didn't have a conviction (like a theft under 5000 charge for an accounting job).

Any help/advice/info would be appreciated.


PS. I'm 26 now and live in Toronto, Ontario

Quote:

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Originally Posted by j8212

When I was 20, i got caught stealing and got charged with theft under 5000 and a charge of assault (on the store clerk).

It would have been my first offense, but ironically by ex-bf went to the police to tell them I assaulted him. These are 2 completely separate incidents.

But because the theft situation happened after the first assault charge, I got the full treatment - a night in the police station, spending the time to wait for first court with some really shady individuals and the like.

Anyways, the first assault charge (bf) got dropped (peace bond). The theft and second assault charge (store clerk) got an absolute discharge. 5 years later I am applying for an accounting related job in a big company who wants to do a background check.

An absolute discharge gets erased from the police database 1 year after the last court date, and it is not considered a conviction. HOWEVER, I am still worried that a potential employer might see these charges come up.

Did anybody have any experience with a similar situation? I have no idea what a police check looks like when it comes back to the employer. And I don't know whether certain charges are considered relevant even if they didn't have a conviction (like a theft under 5000 charge for an accounting job).

Any help/advice/info would be appreciated.


PS. I'm 26 now and live in Toronto, Ontario

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It won't be on criminal check, you got discharged. But wait, so had 2 charges? Theft under 5000 and assault and you got discharged! Because I'm here with a theft under 5000, I'm 18, and no criminal record, never spoken to a police officer and I'm scared, you think I will get a discharge? How much did you steal?

It should not show up on the official police ( government) data base for a job background check.

NOW, or BUT... with today's world, the internet, and the billions of bits of information out there, lets say some search or background firm picked this up into their data base prior to the discharge, let say they show the arrest in their records, then if someone hires them, and pays for their records, anything can show up since only the official government records are cleared.

Will the charge be erased from the database after 1 year? Does anyone know?