Legal advice needed

[Rick Murchison]

so now I am 24 years old, and I'm actually applying to law schools...and they ask, have you ever been convicted of a crime, etc etc.

I've been accepted to a law school in Michigan, but they're gonna be pissed when they find out I "lied" on my application

yea but the law school in Michigan is pretty ticked I "lied" on my app

Jack, old buddy, I hate to tell you this, but you do have a little problem with recognizing what's true and what isn't.
Or are you just casting bait on the water here?
Rick

 

[pilot fish]

yea but the law school in Michigan is pretty ticked I "lied" on my app....I think it's all a bunch of BS...who cares what one did, unless it's a felony, when you are under 18?

I'll keep yall updated, thanks for the advice

Jack

jack, did police come to your house and take you to the station? Were you finger printed and a mug shot taken? If no to those questions, do not waste your time giving this any more thought.

 

[pilot fish]

Jack, old buddy, I hate to tell you this, but you do have a little problem with recognizing what's true and what isn't.
Or are you just casting bait on the water here?
Rick

oops, what am I missing here? This is BS?

 

[pilot fish]

yea but the law school in Michigan is pretty ticked I "lied" on my app....I think it's all a bunch of BS...who cares what one did, unless it's a felony, when you are under 18?

I'll keep yall updated, thanks for the advice

Jack

Gonna be, or are pissed? Did you in fact put it down on your app or not? What then is your question here?

 

[Rick Murchison]

oops, what am I missing here? This is BS?

In just this thread he's gone from "advice needed" to "I'm applying" to "they're going to be pissed" to "they already are pissed" which leads to "what I'm really looking for isn't advice on what to do, but approval for what I've done."
Would you trust this man with a touchy legal situation?
Not me!
Rick

 

[pilot fish]

In just this thread he's gone from "advice needed" to "I'm applying" to "they're going to be pissed" to "they already are pissed" which leads to "what I'm really looking for isn't advice on what to do, but approval for what I've done."
Would you trust this man with a touchy legal situation?
Not me!
Rick

Your adroit observations made me look at his post a bit closer. It is confusing just what his question really is? Good observation Rick .

 

[dsteding]

You know, this thread is a bit mislabeled, it isn't really legal advice that Jack is looking for. It is more along the lines of moral advice.

FWIW, this will come up again on your bar application, be honest and don't lie or exclude things. Same here with U of M, if you left something out, write a letter, be totally frank, and don't make them think you are being deceptive. That is what both the a law school and the bar are looking for in those applications.

When I filled out my bar application I remember having to go so far as figuring out traffic and parking tickets. I was 31 at the time, so imagine having to reconstruct 15 years of a driving record AND a parking record. Fun stuff.

General rule: disclose and it usually isn't a big deal, people are not perfect. Don't disclose, and it probably will become a big deal.

 

[ReefHound]

I showed up to court and the judge asked me how did I plea, I manned up and said guilty...that's when he asked the opposing party to come forward (the charges were damage to personal property) they were seeking money...

however, they didn't come forward...immediately I could have kicked myself in the butt, because I knew then if I would have said not guilty, it would have been dismissed...

Nope, your case would NOT have been dismissed. The first appearance is the arraignment where you enter a plea, the plaintiff and prosecutor are not required to be there. The judge was simply hoping that maybe the case could be settled right there and then, without the other party he couldn't know what to order as restitution. If you had pled not guilty, he wouldn't have called for the other party, he would have asked if you wish to waive your right to a jury trial and then set a court date.

Simply do a criminal check on yourself. See what is on record. Check the current status of your case number. If there is no conviction on record, answer no if asked if you've ever been convicted. I would avoid long-winded explanations that are going to confuse people and raise more questions than they answer.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

...and they ask, have you ever been convicted of a crime"...

Dude,

Part of going to law school is learning to read the questions carefully.

This is a simple one.

"Were you ever CONVICTED of a crime?"

Not accused, arrested, arraigned, went to court, etc.

CONVICTED.

If you were CONVICTED of a crime, the answer you want is "Yes".

If you were not CONVICTED of a crime, the answer you want is "No".

Read the question carefully and do not read anything else into it - just answer what it asks.

This is excellent advice:

"Simply do a criminal check on yourself. See what is on record. Check the current status of your case number. If there is no conviction on record, answer no if asked if you've ever been convicted. I would avoid long-winded explanations that are going to confuse people and raise more questions than they answer."

 

[divad]

In just this thread he's gone from "advice needed" to "I'm applying" to "they're going to be pissed" to "they already are pissed" which leads to "what I'm really looking for isn't advice on what to do, but approval for what I've done."
Would you trust this man with a touchy legal situation?
Not me!
Rick

Yeah, I thought I was getting vertigo.