DUI Criminal Record
Much like getting arrested, having a DUI criminal record can be an embarrassing impediment for many people. Where that record is stored and how it affects your life is also elusive because so many governmental agencies compile their data differently. Which often begs the question: Who will ultimately find out?
To answer this question, this article was written to uncover the tricky aspects of DUI criminal records and how they can have an effect on your personal and professional life far after the initial arrest.
Where is a DUI criminal record kept?
After an arrest has been logged in through the local or county police agency, the DUI criminal record goes through a series of data processes that span over four different governmental levels in as little as twelve hours. Over the course of the next few days after the arrest, a handful of supplemental agencies catch wind and the records are stored within their own repositories. Eventually, the case is filed by the local District Attorney’s office and becomes part of the Superior or Municipal court docket. By the time someone appears in court for the first time, at least a dozen public agencies have either been notified or registered the offense in their systems.
Apart from public agencies, however, there are also hundreds of companies who gather arrest and court records for the sole purpose of compiling special background reports within the employment, insurance, housing, and lending industries. Each segment of these industries manage their records according to commercial standards and often exchange consumer information as a routine business practice.
What Effect Does a DUI Criminal Record Have on Your Life?
If you have a job or are looking for one, any criminal record will be an issue depending on several factors. Some industries have serious compliance requirements and must do extensive background checks before hiring someone. Other sectors of the workforce are required to do periodic background checks for professions that don’t require self-reporting. When investor money and challenging lawsuits turn companies upside-down, it’s no wonder why so many places must go through extensive screening cycles.
What to do about a DUI Criminal Record?
Anyone who has had a brush with the law in their past find themselves wondering what can be done about it—especially when it comes time to apply for a job or promotion and that familiar feeling starts to set in. For anyone seeking to clear or remove their past criminal record information, the first and best step would be to contact someone knowledgeable in the field that can guide them. Criminal record removal is by no means a simple and straightforward endeavor. Not all cases are alike and nobody’s situation is identical to any other person. Therefore, a first step evaluation is the best way to go.
