We are all aware of the immediate impact a criminal record could have on your life. You could pay a hefty fine or serve jail time for your transgressions. However, most people don’t realize that the effects of your criminal record linger throughout the rest of your life.

Unfortunately, even though you were charged for a minor offense and never got convicted, you now have an indelible mark on your head that might never go away. With that being said, let’s discuss how a criminal record can impact your future.

Driving privileges

Safety on the road is paramount, especially if you are behind the wheel. If your criminal charges involve driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, you will lose your driving privileges and have your license snatched from your fingers.

Fortunately, the law will only suspend your license for 180 days and instruct you to attend a 15-hour course on drug education. After completing the course and demonstrating that you are a model citizen, you will get your driver’s license back.

Child Adoption

By the time a child gets into the foster care system, they have gone through lots of harrowing experiences like neglect and child abuse. Therefore, CPS is very stringent on who gets to adopt these kids because they deserve to be raised in loving homes.

A criminal record could deter you from adopting a child, even though they were minor cases. For example, the law prohibits anyone living in Texas from adopting a child if they have a misdemeanour charge involving substance abuse, alcohol, or giving a child access to a gun. 

Revocation of healthcare licences

Suppose you visit a healthcare centre and the doctor attending you has a criminal record. We guarantee you wouldn’t be comfortable letting them treat you. If you already have a professional health licence, it might get revoked. It will also become nearly impossible to obtain a healthcare licence if you have a criminal record.

Child custody

We understand that a divorce can sometimes get messy, especially if you don’t see eye to eye with your ex-spouse. Unfortunately, a criminal charge could force you to lose custody of your children. Common criminal charges that could affect child custody include domestic abuse, violence, and substance abuse.

The best you can get is a few hours of supervised visits. However, we would advise you to consider having competent criminal defense attorneys at your service. These lawyers will examine your case and help you achieve the best outcome.

Renting

Landlords usually conduct background checks to ascertain they accept stellar tenants’ applications. Therefore, a criminal record could cause the landlord to reject your application, making it hard for you to find an apartment or home to rent. Unfortunately, the landlord might deny you a home even though the charges were dropped and you are innocent.

The right to own firearms

Firearms are dangerous weapons that can lead to mass casualties when left in the wrong hands. For this reason, the Government is very picky about who can and cannot obtain a firearm licence. For instance, if you are charged with a Class A misdemeanour in Texas, you will not be permitted to own a firearm. If you already had a licence by the time you got your criminal charge, the law will withhold your firearm.

Employment

One of the most obvious negative impacts of a criminal charge is difficulty in finding employment. If a manager hires a potential candidate with a criminal record, it will reflect poorly on the company’s integrity. Management is also concerned that you will violate the company rules and regulations once they hire you.

No matter how small the charge was, it might still deter you from getting a job. It will be even worse for you if you fail to indicate you had a criminal charge in the past. Therefore, we suggest you fess up and be transparent about your criminal record before they run a background check on you.

Impact on your reputation

Lastly, people in society wouldn’t want to associate themselves with a criminal. Even though you were not charged for your offense, some people won’t care to look past your criminal record. You might start to notice people acting differently around you or avoiding you altogether. The social stigma could also result in loneliness and isolation because society is trying to keep a safe distance from you.

In Conclusion

The best way to avoid these adverse effects discussed above would be to stay out of trouble and do the right thing at the right time. Fortunately, if you get on the wrong side of the law, you can get a reasonable attorney to fight for your rights and possibly reduce your charges.