Doctors, like nurses, CPAs, police officers and teachers, are all in jeopardy of losing their licenses after an arrest.
For most people, being charged with a crime is an extremely stressful and terrifying experience. Being taken away, handcuffed, in the back of a police car just ruins your day. Spending days, and sometimes weeks or months in jail, while your case inches it’s way through the court system. Knowing that you may end up behind bars for years, and in some cases decades.
All of it is a form of torment that no one is prepared for when it happens. For many people, there are “collateral consequences” that result from criminal convictions. These collateral consequences in Michigan range from possible deportation, possible loss of driving privileges, loss of gun rights, registration on a sex offender registry and so on. But wait; there’s more. For people in certain professions, these unpleasant side effects are only part of the horror they face. Losing their professional license can be devastating, and can have lifelong repercussions.
There are many professions where being convicted of a crime here in Michigan, or in some extremely severe cases – simply charged with a crime, can mean losing your future livelihood. Doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters, lawyers, daycare providers, school teachers, CPAs and builders all have jobs that are made possible through licenses.
In other words, they can only work in that profession one they are licensed to do so, usually by the state. Having a criminal conviction on their record can put that license in jeopardy. Which means their entire career and future livelihood can simply disappear with the first snap of those handcuffs. Depending on the specific profession or industry, many licensed people have a duty to report a criminal charge or conviction to their professional licensing board. In many cases, this self-reporting is required within a certain period of time.
Some only have to report an actual conviction, while others – even an arrest can jeopardize their careers!
For example, in Michigan nurses and other health professionals must report a conviction to the Health Regulation Division of the Michigan Bureau of Health Professions within 30 days. If the conviction is a felony, or involves a controlled substance offense, professional license suspensions are automatic.
Teachers have similar regulations. The School Safety Act requires school employees and prospective employees to report both to the employing school district and to the Michigan Department of Education within 3 business days of:
1) being arraigned for any felony charge and certain misdemeanor charges, and
2) upon conviction.
This applies not only to teachers, but also to contract workers, and many other school district employees. This can be a real issue because many people working for the school districts haven’t hired an attorney by the time they’re arraigned, and many have no idea about this strict reporting requirement. School employees who don’t provide notice can actually face another felony or misdemeanor charge for the simple act of not reporting their original charge.
As you can see, being arrested and charged with a crime in Michigan can have many additional consequences, beyond simply the cost of an attorney and the time spent in either jail or prison.
Many people want to keep a criminal charges or convictions secret from their employers, which is completely understandable. After all, it’s embarrassing and could easily result in lost employment. However, failing to report violations of the law can lead to even more criminal charges for certain people. So in many cases, not reporting the charge or conviction can actually have worse results here in The Great Lakes State.
If you or a loved one have been arrested or accused of a crime, it is critical that you contact The Kronzek Firm immediately at 866 766 5245. Don’t wait and hope that the issue will resolve itself, and don’t wait to ‘deal with it later.’ Your entire future can be on the line, and time is of the essence! An experienced criminal defense attorney is waiting to help you determine whether or not you have to report your charge or conviction, when you should do it, and how it should be done. We are here to help you just as we’ve helped thousands of other clients over the past decades!