I am a finance major with a couple of non-felony marijuana charges on my

[Paul M]

record. Can I still get hired? I have 2 possesion of marijuana charges from 2-3 years ago. Once I get my degree do I have any chance of getting hired by a brokerage firm? since they are class B misdemeanors can I get them expunged?

[Sherr]

Yes after you pay to remove them from your record.

[aintlifegrand]

No! It has to be 7 years or more and then you still have to get the police reports and write a letter stating exactly what happened. With 2 charges ............. I hate to say it but you are going to have a really hard time my friend.


When a criminal record is "expunged", in most senses the record is treated as if it does not exist. There are limits to expungement - for example, some states maintain separate registries for people who have been convicted of child abuse or sex offenses, and the expungement of a criminal record may not affect those registries. Also, for some subsequent purposes such as applying for a job which requires a government security clearance, the odds are very high that the employer will discover the full criminal history so it may be best to admit having an expunged conviction when applying for such a job.

People seek expungement for a variety of reasons. Some simply wish to remove an embarrassing blot from their personal history. Others want to have their right to vote reinstated, in a state which suspends voting rights for convicted felons. Some wish to have their right to possess a firearm restored, so that they may go hunting. Some require an expungement in order to be eligible for desired employment. As a general rule, chances for successfully obtaining an expungement go up with the demonstration of need, and with evidence of complete rehabilitation.

States have very different policies on expungement. Some states may exclude the possibility of expungement, others may limit its availability to people who have no more than one criminal conviction on their records, while others may be more generous. You will also be required to have been discharged from your sentence for a considerable period of time, without further legal incident. You will need to investigate the policies of the jurisdiction which issued the conviction or convictions, in determining whether you are eligible for expungement.

Expungement is not the only option available to people who wish to clear their criminal records. Most jurisdictions have systems whereby people can apply for pardons. While an expungement is typically issued by the court in which a person was convicted of a crime, a pardon is an executive action which can partially or fully lift the effects of the conviction. Another option is to seal a criminal record, although this usually occurs only with juvenile records (and sometimes even then only if they stay out of trouble during their first few years of adulthood). In some jurisdictions, juvenile records are sealed automatically, while in others it is necessary to bring a motion within a certain number of years of adulthood in order to have the record sealed. It is very unusual for the criminal convictions of adults to be under seal. Finally, it may be possible to bring a "collateral attack" on the conviction, to try to have the conviction set aside. Usually, this is a difficult process, involving a separate court action which must be commenced within a limited period of time after the conviction is entered.

[Lavrenti Beria]

Nope, I hope you really enjoyed getting high because its going to cost you FAR more than you ever imagined.

[caldude1010101]

Your potential employer will run a background check on you. About 90% of employers (eg: all the major corporations) are doing so nowadays. So there is a very good chance that your possession charges will be found out.

Personally, I would fess up to your past indiscretions at the interview (fully knowing that they will find this out anyway) and offer yourself up to random drug testing, if necessary, to prove that you are no longer doing such foolish things. A potential manager might find your confession to be an indicator that you are an honest employee.

Otherwise you can deliver pizzas for $6.00/hr.

Its up to you.

Good luck.

[ReBelle]

As long as you can pass the drug test when you start interviewing and are honest about your record until you can have them expunged, you'll do fine. Most interviewers realize we all do stupid things as kids we later regret and not many will hold that against you, many will be impressed you saved yourself and went to college, that shows an awful lot of character, and many many businesses would welcome someone with such a good head! You are going to need a lawyer to have your record sealed or expunged, but yes it can be done, especially if you've gone to college and turned your life around. You are going to do great!