HOW A CRIMINAL RECORD AFFECTS YOUR LIFE
According to the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, approximately 1.9 million people have a criminal record. Unfortunately, punishment does not end on the last day of your sentence. Former inmates usually experience hardships and discrimination when they reenter society. The collateral repercussions of a criminal record may seem eternal, but a criminal defense attorney can help reduce the ramifications.
You must understand how these changes can affect your future, whether you were arrested for possession, charged with a sex crime, or drug trafficking. How does a criminal record cause secondary problems, and how can you manage them? Here is a list of how a record can bring long-term hardships.
Employment
A minor charge can reduce your chances of getting a good job even without a conviction. Most businesses run a background check before hiring employees – and it is legal to do so in most scenarios. Your application may be turned down depending on what info the employer may find.
Additionally, a criminal record can reduce your earning power. If you were arrested for possession, or you're a registered sex offender, your only luck may be a job with tough conditions and peanut wages.
Child Custody and Adoption
It may prove difficult to adopt a child with a misdemeanor or felony involving a child or a family in Ohio. The list of criminal charges that may affect your adopting rights varies from sex charges to domestic violence to assault. Many agencies find people with these charges too negligent for adopting.
Other violence and family-related crimes can affect your child custody rights too. The court may rule that you are not fit to be a guardian or have custody of your kid(s) even after completing your sentence.
Licenses
Your driving license may be suspended after being arrested for possession, trafficking, or driving while intoxicated. The reason being, you might be deemed too reckless to have a license. Other licenses that may be revoked because of criminal charges are firearms, healthcare, and renting licenses.
Immigration and Traveling
A foreign national has a lot to lose when they have a criminal record. First, your green card application can be repealed. Next, the charges can impact your immigration status, preventing you from being a naturalized U.S citizen. For felonies, you can suffer deportation.
Honest Living
Having a criminal record can condemn you to an honest living that is below average. This is one of the most common results of incarceration or having a trafficking charge. You may not qualify for government assistance programs intended to help low-income people with housing, energy bills, food stamps, and even job training.
The Struggle Never Ends
Unfortunately, the collateral consequences are just starting. The issues that arise from a criminal record are never-ending. You might have to deal with employment discrimination, eviction, denial of licenses for different professions, deportation after completing your sentence, and more. It is also easy to feel discouraged by how society treats you when you have served time in prison or were charged with trafficking or sex crimes.
Avoiding or Minimizing Criminal Record Consequences
Clearly, a criminal record can easily ruin your life after conviction. What do you do when you face criminal charges and have nowhere to start? Find a criminal defense lawyer in Columbus, OH. Seeking legal services can go a long way in reducing your sentence or getting your charges dropped.
According to experienced attorneys, the first step to controlling the risk of a record is contacting a law firm. Never underestimate the power of a strong defense when you are arrested for possession, assault, domestic violence, sex crimes – you name it! Find an attorney as soon as possible and let them fight for your case to the last minute. Call Wolfe Law Group today for qualified criminal attorneys.