An arrest can have serious consequences for you at any stage in life, but these repercussions may feel even more severe if you are arrested while you’re in college. A criminal conviction while you’re in college can impact your future job prospects, your current scholarship and even your current admission at the university, so it’s not something you should take lightly. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the possible consequences and your legal options if you are arrested and charged with a crime in college.
Arrested In College
If you are arrested while you’re in college, even if you are arrested off campus, there is a decent chance that your university will find out about the arrest. Local law enforcement oftentimes works closely with colleges and universities to ensure they are aware of any possible criminal issues with their students. There’s no guarantee that they will find out, but don’t be shocked if you get a letter in the mail from the disciplinary committee in the wake of an arrest.
When it comes to possible punishments, it’s really up to the specific university or college. Most institutions have their own code of conduct or disciplinary policies that dictate how criminal matters are handled on the school’s end. Again, this will be completely up to each university, but in many instances a student will be informed that a disciplinary committee wants to have a meeting to discuss the events in question.
This may occur before or after your criminal case has played out, so approach this meeting with the right mindset based on where you are with your case. If you have yet to be convicted, keep your answers short and inform the disciplinary committee that you have every intention of proving your innocence in court. If the meeting comes after you’ve been convicted, you’ll want to express remorse and explain how you are working to make positive changes going forward. Ultimately, what you say during this review will play a role in how the disciplinary committee opts to proceed.
For relatively harmless and non-violent crimes, there’s a good chance that you’ll simply be given a written or verbal warning, or you’ll end up on a similar type of probation list. As long as you stay out of trouble, nothing further should come out of the situation. If your crime was more severe or you end up in additional trouble, school sanctions may be put in place. Some possible sanctions that could be tied to your arrest and conviction include:
- Removal from campus housing
- Loss/Reduction of scholarship
- Loss/Reduction of financial aid
- Suspension
- Expulsion
It’s also possible that a college arrest will impact you after graduation. Certain criminal offenses can make it hard for you to get into graduate school, to land your dream job or to be approved for an apartment, so make sure that you don’t just plead guilty and hope the issue will remain hidden. Instead, connect with a legal team like Appelman Law Firm and work to have the charges reduced to dropped. We know how a college crime can impact the rest of your life, and we’re here to ensure you don’t have to deal with the fallout of a bad decision for years to come. Let us help you achieve a positive outcome to your story.
For more information, or for help navigating the legal world after an arrest, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
