Q: Do I have a felony?
I thought I got a 3rd degree felony when I was 19, a job I want just did a 20 yr background an it came back clean, yes the offense was in less then 20 yrs, no its not sealed or removed in anyway that im aware of. Its a 3rd degree felony criminal trespass I thought is it possible that I plead to somethin else an didnt know?also I dont believe I plead guilty I think I plead no contest does that affect anything?what wouldn't show up on a background check?
A:
If someone is convicted as an adult, the conviction will appear on a criminal history regardless of whether the plea was guilty or no contest.
If an offense happened before the age of 18, it may have been processed as a juvenile adjudication of delinquency, even if the case did not close until after the age of 18. An old juvenile adjudication may have been expunged from the record, depending on whether the intervening time has been crime free.
If the conviction was for a lesser offense due to a plea agreement, the record may have been covered by the Pennsylvania Clean Slate Law, which makes some misdemeanor convictions invisible on employment background checks.
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