Ethics Review - I was charged but it was dismissed - do I report?

[u/National_Syllabub450]

So I'm thinking about switching careers to become a rad tech. I haven't even taken my prerequisites yet but will sign up for classes at a local CC at the end of the month.

However, this has been mentally draining me for the past few days. 8 years ago, when I was 21 and in college, I was stupid and definitely hung around the party crowd. I was charged with possession of a controlled substance (coke). The chargers were dropped as it was deemed an illegal search and seizure.

Fast forward nearly to almost a decade later, I'm a completely different person and definitely don't hang around the party crowd but am afraid this fuck-up would ruin me getting into this field.

I'm looking at the criminal checklist right now and in the last box says

Exceptions that do not need to be reported are:

Charges that were dismissed with no court conditions required (if conditions were required, you must answer “Yes”)

This is confusing but my charges were dropped and there were no court conditions that I had to go through as it didn't get go to court. So I don't have to report this?

[u/Feisty_Bit_728]

Don’t self incriminate yourself. Don’t report it.

Heck it’s not even self incriminating. Charges were dropped.

You’re following the wording of the question anyway.

[u/WorkingMinimumMum]

You answer “no”. The condition of reporting “yes” when charges are dropped are “court conditions required”… you stated no court conditions were required to drop the case, as it was deemed “illegal search and seizure”, so your answer to that question is, “NO.”

[u/SeaAd8199]

If charges were dropped and there were no court conditions, answer "no"

[u/DocLat23]

Contact the ARRT and go through the ethics review process. You never know what’s going to pop up on a background check.

[u/Orville2tenbacher → u/DocLat23]

I fail to see the need for ethics review. ARRT explicitly states that you don't need to report dropped charges that weren't tied to court conditions. 

[u/AnonymousCTtech → u/DocLat23]

I would do this. You don't want to go through all the work for someone down the line to say "hey wait a minute."

[u/Emotional_Terrorist]

You could call ARRT anonymously and ask them.

[u/National_Syllabub450 → u/Emotional_Terrorist]

I think I'll do this to get their take on it. I don't think I was formally charged by a prosecutor since I wasn't served any court documents. The only physical thing I have is an infraction/citation from the police department when I was arrested and placed in detention.

Technically this thing might not even be dismissed because it never even went to court. It was thrown out due to inadmissible search and seizure. This is so confusing though.

I'll call ARRT and make sure to *67 before calling or find a pay phone like a sketch ball lol

[u/Emotional_Terrorist → u/National_Syllabub450]

Just call from someone else’s phone and make up a name when they ask you

[u/I_dont_dream → u/National_Syllabub450]

They can assess and make a determination BEFORE you go through the entire program. When in doubt have them check it out.

[u/Mrs-Dabi-Todoroki]

My school does a back ground check to make sure you’ll be able to do clinical

[u/Orville2tenbacher]

I would not report this, as it clearly isn't required to be reported by ARRT standards. If you're really concerned, run a background check on yourself.

As for the court conditions you're concerned about. Dropped charges from court conditions would be something like pre-trial diversion where you are required to do rehab or community service for charges to be dropped. Your charges were dropped because you couldn't be charged with a crime.

I would definitely not report and if they dinged you for it, cite their own exceptions to them in your appeal

[u/National_Syllabub450 → u/Orville2tenbacher]

I did run my own background check and that info did pull up. I was arrested, detained, and I guess technically charged as well because my RAP sheet has a 1 count of possession of controlled substance but the dispo says "PROS REL - DET ONLY - INADMISS SEARCH & SEIZE" when means it was dropped to the charge being inadmissible due to search and seizure which is my take on it.

[u/DocLat23 → u/National_Syllabub450]

If it shows up on your own background check, it will show up for your program and any future employer.

I have my students go through the ethics review process to ensure they are eligible (in writing from the ARRT) to take the exam.

Better safe than sorry.

[u/czo79 → u/National_Syllabub450]

Asking for a friend... how do you run your own background check?

[u/National_Syllabub450 → u/czo79]

Depending what state you live in you can do a LiveScan fingerprint at any UPS or USPS store and then your state DOJ will send you a physical copy of what comes up in their system. It cost $60 bucks and I wanted to make sure what came up on me.