Domestic Assault Convictions and Professional Licenses

For those that need to hold a professional license, they work in high stress jobs. Furthermore, because it took so much training to get those licenses, they want to protect them. However, mistakes happen. When professionals let all that stress get to them, it can manifest into a domestic violence charge. However, while domestic violence is a problem for anyone involved, it is an especially complicated for those who currently hold professional licenses or are in training to gain a professional license in the future.

CONVICTION AND THE ADMISSION OF GUILT

The important thing to consider for those accused of domestic assault is that it will only become an issue if the arrest becomes a conviction. However, the licensing board will also take into consideration any admission of guilt. This means that even if you wish to avoid trial by taking a plea deal, that is an admission of guilt and will be treated the same way by the licensing board.

So the key to remember is that you will only need to worry about your professional license if you get convicted of domestic assault. In this respect, it is important to fight for the charges to be dropped or a not guilty verdict. However, a not guilty verdict and even an arrest will need to be reported to the licensing board with the help of your lawyer. However, the repercussion of  non-convictions are not as serious towards your license.

If you are convicted for domestic violence and are seeking to apply for a professional license, you should be aware that you need to report the conviction as well. You need to report every citation on your record when applying, including traffic citations, even if it has been expunged. Failure to do so, and if it is discovered, then it will result in a swift denial of your licensing application due to ethical concerns.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FACTORS THAT AFFECT YOUR LICENSE

Even without a conviction, you will still have to report the domestic assault charge to the licensing board. There may be some action against your license even if there is no conviction, but a number of factors come into play. These factors include:

  • When the assault occurred – This is more of a factor when applying for a license, since if the assault is older without any repeat offenses, it is taken better.
  • Circumstances of the assault – The more violent the crime, the worse it will look.
  • History of arrests and convictions
  • Compliance with court mandates
  • Rehabilitation

Typically the best course of action is to admit the mistake to the licensing board while fighting it in the legal system. By seeking repentant rehabilitation, such as anger management, it will reflect better to the board. Violent crimes like domestic assault are taken very seriously by many professions, so even if you are not convicted you will still want to make any effort to look good for the licensing board by taking rehabilitative actions. However, without a conviction, revocation of a license is less likely. It is more common for warnings or, at most, a suspension of a license will result from these charges, but rehabilitative actions will lessen this likelihood.

If you have been arrested for domestic assault and want to protect your professional license and career, contact us today. The Speas Law Firm is experienced in both professional license and domestic assault defense so we can make sure that every potential issue is taken care of before it becomes a problem. As the victim of domestic violence can drop the charges but the prosecutor can choose to press on, domestic violence arrests can be difficult cases. Let us help you get past it.