Need advice on my background, please

[oldtimer1973]

Hello everyone, I just ran across this site and thought THANK GOD! I've been dying to get some help regarding my background. So here goes.
-When I was 19, I hung with the wrong crowd. Long story short, I was charged with disorderly conduct, complicity, assault and battery. I was aquited by a jury.
-Got in a fist fight with a sisters boyfriend who refused to leave my mothers home. I was charged with assault and battery. I defended myself at trial and was aquited in 5 minutes. No lawyer. This happened INSIDE my mothers/my residence.
-5-6 years ago I was accused of discharging a firearm across a trail(in Colorado it reads road, trail, or highway). I spent alot of time with my dad in the wild and recognized this as a water wash not a trail. The trail was not marked and was later told by the officer that the trail markers had been vadalized/stolen. I went to court with my pictures and the charge was busted to littering. I should have taken it to trial and beat it. Bad call taking the plea.
-Recently I was charged with indecent exposure and harassment. I I told a couple of drunks/druggies to go home while on my paper route at 450am. They gave me indication that all was not OK and I had just observed them pulling out from a housing track. I told them I didn't care what was going on with them, and that If they did not go home I would call the police. The driver accused me of trying to force her off the road and when she turned I pulled next to her and exposed my erect penis to her while I masterbated. (how sick) I was contacted and cited. I hired a lwayer and fought back. The driver spoke to 2 different departments and gave to totally different stories. When the day of trial came the DA dismissed all charges and said the alleged victim now thinks that she saw my thumb. MY THUMB!? My friends and family knew better and understood I was working 70+ hours a week and was trying to get ahead in life when this was happening. My wife was also pregnant at the time.
-@ work I was the model employee. 2 increases last year. I had a difference with one MGR and everything changed. I was written up out the door. I was told by the owner my pay would be looked at again a third time this year(last year). I was written up all in one swing for lude jokes, finger gestures, inapropriate phone call, not following policy. All bogus. Never told any lude jokes, never did not follow policy. The alleged phone call happened when I called a senior MGR on his day off and asked for help with the register system as it had failed once again. I left a message in his mailbox saying that I tried to get hold of him and that I tried all his #'s. Finger gestures. Owner's daughter(HR)flipped me off and gave me a shove, I gave her the finger back. Following policy happend when I did not fill a log out "on the spot" and created by myself. Registers were down again(whole month of Sept.) lines out the door. I was taking care of my customers and was comming back to this which was rectified the following day. The mgr I had disagreed with did not find this log right away.
-Was a Wal-Mart Asst Mgr. Tough place, not enough help always behind the ball. Eventually was demoted(not terminated/or in lieu of term) and I decided to move on for career reasons.
Please help. This 1st employer just is not credible in anything they say. Absolutley not a thing to hide at all. 2 uncles detectives, dad badgedpeace officer, 1 fireman, 1 DOC. Any advice guys?

[bell4fan]

You have a pretty good history there. I dont think you were a victim that many times, and if you were, you have horrible luck, and i would think a PD would not want to risk having you wear their uniform.

[Lynx83]

I think you need to find another career. You have a pretty intense history of having a short fuse so to speak, flip off women (goes to the whole short fuse -- not thinking first thing) and were written up at a previous job for some serious issues. I dont think any LE agency is going to hire you.

JoeyD, your take?

[oldtimer1973]

Hopefuls, Thanks for the replies, I am known in the family as the bad luck guy. " If it weren't for bad luck I would not have any at all." There realy was no short fuses about it in any circumstances. The bosses daughter and I had definately a friendly banter that happened to be seen by one of the owners. As far as the 1st fighting incident. I was with the wrong crowd at the wrong time. The group of 18YO's got in a fight that was I included in via the "complicity" charge. I am 34 now and that was indeed a long time ago. As far as the altercation inside my home(mother's home), I was defending myself, as in not beating someone up, and was not the instigating party.

[oldtimer1973]

I am hoping to hear from a BI. I do have an FFL which does reflect on me positively. Lots more good, I just covered the meat of the challenges I have to ask about.

[Roger Dat]

If you have a propencity of finding "bad luck" as you call it this isnt the career for you.

[Fury]

Find a time machine.

[AmarulaCream]

I will give you the answer you want to hear and the answer you need to hear...

You used the term "recently" in regards to some of your transgressions... mmm mmm, not gonna cut it. How old are you. You need time to let the curse of whatever mirror you broke or black cat you pissed off die down. I have found that everyone has a probable chance at the job so long as they do not have any mandatory DQs... but you need to show the hiring people you are responsible, accountable and not a "bad luck" magnet.

Frankly, sounds like you would make a good attorney... ever thought of that?

[DeltaV]

The fact that you weren't convicted of any of these things is really immaterial. In order for you to be arrested/charged, that means probable cause existed that you committed these offenses. All of us in LE know that it's not at all uncommon for the guilty to be aquitted, and ANY arrest is going to look bad in a BI. When you have numerous arrests, it sends up a red flag. There's a certain segment of the population that is constantly having negative contacts with police because of their associations, their attitudes, and/or their actions. We don't want those people in LE and will weed them out during the hiring process.

[AmarulaCream]

The fact that you weren't convicted of any of these things is really immaterial. In order for you to be arrested/charged, that means probable cause existed that you committed these offenses. All of us in LE know that it's not at all uncommon for the guilty to be aquitted, and ANY arrest is going to look bad in a BI. When you have numerous arrests, it sends up a red flag. There's a certain segment of the population that is constantly having negative contacts with police because of their associations, their attitudes, and/or their actions. We don't want those people in LE and will weed them out during the hiring process.

Wow, so I gather due-process does not exist in Florida then...???

[Roger Dat]

Negative police contact can be indicative of many things. Just because you werent convicted doesnt mean you didnt know or patricipate. Amarula we are seeking the BEST candidates. Just because you were convicted of a non moving violation doesnt mean you werent speeding get my drift?

[DeltaV]

Wow, so I gather due-process does not exist in Florida then...???

What does due process have to do with anything? Due process exists in the courts, not in the hiring process for LE.

You can be disqualified for crimes that you haven't ever been charged with, so it goes without saying that you can be disqualified for crimes you were charged with but not convicted of.

[AmarulaCream]

What does due process have to do with anything? Due process exists in the courts, not in the hiring process for LE.

You can be disqualified for crimes that you haven't ever been charged with, so it goes without saying that you can be disqualified for crimes you were charged with but not convicted of.

Admitting to having perpetrated a crime due to integrity is essentially an off-the-record "guilty" verdict. You would not admit to an act if you were confident it was not criminal, or you did not do it.
The OP was legitimately processed through the system and acquitted/dismissed. This is not the OJ case we are talking about here, but trivial misdemeanors that were rightfully dismissed. As far as I am concerned, not guilty means not guilty. And dismissed with prejudice means "not guilty."

While I fully understand the need of hiring staff to "weed-out" applicants above obvious behavioral discrepancies and simply for the need of tightening the applicant pool... ethically, he deserves the same consideration as someone who has never been arrested (just my opinion).
"Due process" was my attempt at using legal jargon out-of-context: you are basically saying he is guilty of the crimes without taking into consideration his account of what happened and any exculpatory evidence.

Ding!!! your turn...

[AmarulaCream]

And just to be clear, I agree with Roger and DeltaV... I am just in debate mode today... it is finals week so I am presently slightly insane...

I am fairly confident that this guy's past is a bit too "thick" for an LE job anytime soon. I am curious though, what positive qualities does he have...

[GoDirectly2Jail]

While I fully understand the need of hiring staff to "weed-out" applicants above obvious behavioral discrepancies and simply for the need of tightening the applicant pool... ethically, he deserves the same consideration as someone who has never been arrested (just my opinion).

The officers on the scene had enough information to arrest him. Saying that he should be given the same consideration as someone who was never arrested is the same as telling the officer's on that scene that their judgement was worthless.

It just does not work that way in LE hiring. Having two identical candidates that are qualified: one with an arrest, and one without, I will take the one without any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

It may not be fair, but it's a sight better than having the applicant end up working side-by-side with the officer that arrested them. "Ofc. Smith, you may remember Ofc. Jones from a few years ago when you arrested him..."