[famlee]

When I was younger I moved away from home and moved in with my cousin's exwife and her children.

She was not the best person for a young person to be living with. But I was a teenager, so I knew it all, right? Lol

Anyhow, she wrote a LOAD of checks on my account. Everyone said, file charges. I could not do it because she was in the military and had 3 small kids. I felt if I filed charges, she would have lost her job and possibly would go to jail. Even though I felt she deserved it, I felt the kids didn't deserve it.

Before the letters started coming in from prosecutor's office, I had moved back home unofficially. Meaning I was staying 200 miles away at my parents and working there, but hadn't transferred my mail or moved my things, wasn't sure what I wanted still yet. I never got the letters that gave me so long to pay before action was took. So, until a few months later when I transferred, I never knew about this. Then I started receiving letters I had warrants out. I didn't get letters from all, but decided I'd call all the surrounding counties/towns to double check.

So, I tried to make arrangements with all the county courts prosecutors who had checks on me. Almost all of them allowed me to pay the checks plus court cost and they dropped the warrants and dismissed the case. I never appeared on those.

Two required me to actually appear in court and plead guilty/not guilty and pay the charges. They wouldn't allow me to pay and drop the warrant until I did this. I appeared, plead guilty, paid the check amounts/court fees and everything was over. One of them gave me 6 months court supervised probation. Just meant I had to tell the courts if I got in trouble or moved, etc.

One of the county prosecutors told me they didn't have anything on me. If they found something, they'd call. Never heard a word from them. Six years later, I went through a sobriety checkpoint after work and had forgotten my DL, so had to pull in and let them run my name and ss# and this warrant came back. I went over to sheriff's dept, they booked me, I bonded out, appeared in court a month later, told judge why I hadn't appeared or paid and they said if you'll allow us to take restitution plus court cost from bond, we'll drop everything. I said that's cool.

Just before I moved back home, I had also gotten a traffic ticket. Went to court and paid 1/2 and was to pay 1/2 in 1 month. I gave my "trustworthy" roommate the money and asked her to pay. This was before I knew what she had done. She told me she paid it for me. Come to find out she didn't. So, I called the city prosecutor, he said go to PD and tell them you have warrant, let them book you and bond out and come to court. I did that and my bond was same amount as remaining balance on ticket and they held bond for ticket and sent me home.

By the way... everything was misdemeanors.

So, I ask... obviously the above was against the law, I understand that. But on job applications when I am asked if I have ever been convicted of a crime, how do I answer?

The few I went to court on, since I plead guilty, wasn't convicted, right?

*note* Some of you may think that I am just blaming others for my mistakes, as any human I have made mistakes and I will own up to them, the only mistake I made here was trusting the ones I shouldn't have and not listening to my parents. And of course, not pressing charges on her.

[excon]

Hello f:

Pleading guilty is the same as having been found guilty by a jury. The resulting conviction is the same. You are a convicted criminal.

excon

[Fr_Chuck]

Yes pleading guilty is being "convicted" when asked, in that context

[famlee]

Would I need an attorney to ask the courts to expunge these charges? Or is that even possible for me to do. I am in Missouri.

The reason I ask is because I graduate in a few months with my accounting degree, but I think these charges will make it more difficult for me to get a job in my profession.