The effect of a criminal or serious traffic infraction on your status as a student at a college, university or even high school can be devastating. Convictions can affect your ability to graduate, get into a school, apply for a professional license, or even get job in your chosen field.

An experienced criminal attorney can assist you in assuring your traffic or criminal charges don’t have catastrophic affects on your education and career. Additionally, we can help you get through any administrative hearings being held by your school or college to assure you are being protected through the entire process. Below are a few examples of clients we have helped who might have been in a similar situation to yours.

Example 1:

Lisa is a college senior who was home in Montgomery County for winter break last December. After a holiday party, she was stopped by police and charged with a DUI. Her blood-alcohol level was 0.13 and she admitted to drinking two beers when questioned by the officer. She was charged by the police and released from the station later that day.

Lisa was advised by her attorney to immediately enroll in an alcohol education program. Once in court, she was granted Probation Before Judgment (PBJ), given no jail and no points for her offense and her DUI was ultimately eligible for expungment.

Lisa plans to apply to graduate school and will be able to do so with a clean criminal record.

Example 2:

John is a high school senior who was out with friends in the Bethesda area and was caught by police with a small amount of Marijuana. While this was his first criminal charge, he knew a possession of Marijuana was still a criminal offense that carried the possibility of a year in jail. He contacted an attorney the following day.

His attorney was able to connect him with a program in Maryland known as IPSA (Interventional Program for Substance Abusers). John’s attorney negotiated with Prosecutors and John was permitted to complete the IPSA program and community service in exchange for a full dismissal of his charges.

John plans to graduate with his class and will be starting college in the fall. He is free of any criminal record.