Background Check Need Immediate Advice

Hi All,

I have a serious problem I am facing. I am currently in the middle of having a background check conducted by Goldman Sachs. I received a call from them a week ago stating that my name had been flagged for having an open misdemeanor charge pending against me from 12 years ago. They gave me all of the information for the court etc. When I went to the court house it turns out that there was an open case for public urination that occurred when I was in college. In any case I went before the judge and he sealed and dismissed the charges. In any case Goldman stated today that they had to consult with their legal department on the issue because I had stated on my application that I had no pending charges against me. I honestly had no idea that these charges existed and also how it would have never come up in 12 years! especially since I have been pulled over before and nothing has showed up. In any case has anyone had any issue like this before and any advice? I offered to have the judge write a letter stating that the charge was not a misdemeanor and was a violation but Goldman told me it wasn't necessary. They are meeting with legal tomorrow and said that I would get a call tom afternoon.

 
Best Response

If the charge that got flagged was marked as "sealed" and you truly went through all of the proper steps ordered by the court and have all the necessary paperwork to prove that the file for that case is "sealed" then you should be okay.

Sometimes those things still pop up during background checks, but if you produce the court documents stating the file has been "sealed" then it is my understanding that the company should act as if they never saw the charge in the first place (because the file is "sealed" and they were technically not authorized to see any of the details in the file). Obviously the key to this whole thing is the file being "sealed."

Not 100% on all that so don't quote me but I think that is how it goes.

 

It normally would not be a problem unless GS thinks the actual offense is bad enough to knock you. I had a similar situation where my background check a few years ago came up with an unpaid fine from undergrad I had no idea about. I paid it and gave them confirmation that it was paid. That's all it took. Mine was simply an outstanding fine and not a public urination, but I wouldn't think legal would prevent them from hiring you simply for that. As long as you are honest and pay your fine, you should be fine.

"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed." Theodore Roosevelt
 

Actually this is my first time posting on this site so you must be referring to someone else. Thanks for your comments. I hope that they can "read between the lines" with this situation. I had no idea that this charge even existed. Furthermore, if I was able to evade justice for 12 years for public urination which is never prosecuted as a misdemeanor (charged as one but subsequently dropped or dismissed unless repeat offender) then I would really have to be living in a shell somewhere.

 

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