Those convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs face many challenges. One of the biggest is looking for a job when the applicant has an OWI or other criminal charges on their record. While the Indiana House Bill 1033 protects those who are not convicted or otherwise have their records sealed or expunged, it is a fact that driver not convicted is still enough for those with commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) to be negatively affected.
Employers will often do background checks on current employees or applicants, which can reveal a charge or conviction. Those typically checked here in Indiana include the following:
- Teachers, recreational instructors and coaches, and daycare workers
- Nonprofit employees
- Commercial drivers and public transport employees
- Government officials and office staff
- Police, firemen and public service employees
- Bank employees and financial services employees
- Security guards
- Medical providers, including doctors, nurses and emergency services
How it works
Many applicants must sign a waiver that provides your consent to do the check. There are also often questions like: Have you ever been convicted of a crime? The three common background checks in Indiana are:
Limited criminal history search: This is a basic search done through the State Police and focuses on felonies and Class A misdemeanors.
Expanded criminal history search: This involves arrests in all Indiana counties as well as out-of-state arrests and charges.
National full criminal history report: This involves the use of fingerprinting and searches all information at the federal and state level.
It is worth noting that court records are public and the media does cover OWIs, so a service or an employer who knows where to look can find out a lot of information by searching the internet without having to go through government agencies.
A criminal defense attorney can help
We believe that a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney can protect the rights of the accused, poke holes in the prosecution and work to reduce the sentence to fit the alleged crime. This helps applicants and employees avoid awkward questions or dismissals.