Arrested under alias 12 years ago; Will background check / fingerprinting show it? If so what should I do?

Question

Okay, I read yahoo answers alot so I fully expect alot of people to disrespect me rather than help me, simply because I am admitting to commiting a crime and then committing another to get out of paying my debt to society. Let me say, first and foremost, that I know I was wrong. I wish I didn't do what I did, but I was young and stupid. Please read my question and then decide if you wish to answer helpfully or not. If not, please go on to the next question.

That being said... here's my question:

Back in college I spent way too much time partying and not enough studying. Long story short, I got the boot after 2 semesters. I hung around for another couple of semesters, and the school decided that I was becoming too much of a problem so they banned me from the campus. I, being too dumb to realize the seriousness of the situation, continued to frequent on capmus parties and events. I got arrested by campus police four or five times, but as I said, I was dumb. I never knew that the campus police were "real" police. They always wrote me tickets and let me go. It wasn't until I got a letter from the county saying that I had a court date set to deal with these summonses that I got how serious this was. By then, it was too late. I had already racked up 4 counts of criminal trespass. The judged sentenced me to 1 year in county jail and one year of probation. I was shocked, but I had committed the crimes so I did the time. Wound up only doing four months due to overcrowding. Came home, lesson learned. Got my sh*t together, never went to that campus again, got a job and tried to forget about those mistakes.

Long read... I know, but here's where the real question starts:

About a year after I got out and finished up probation, I'm at a friends house for a party. Abround 6-8 of us went outside. A couple of guys were smoking marijuana, but the rest of us were just drinking and smoking cigarettes. Just my luck, cops come for noise complaint. They smell marijuana in the air and search everyone. They find weed on one guy and arrest him. They find one roach and two still burning / just went out joints on the grass, which had been thrown by the smokers. They then arrest all who were currently standing outside, saying that if noone told who was smoking, we would all have to be arrested for posession so the judge could sort it out.

I now know that I should have just gone through the process and the charges would have eventually been dismissed (as they were for everyone who got a lawyer and stuck it out). A few guys pled guilty, another couple guys made deals for probation and removal from their record after six months away from trouble. Me... I did the dumbest thing I could have, looking back. Having just done my first (and hopefully last) county jail stint, really considered myself as "rehabilitated", and not trying to go back, I used an alias name, hoping I would just be let out with a summons as I had been in the past.

Unfortunately, this time I got digitally fingerprinted. They did wind up letting me out in a few hours, but since I didn't have ID on me at the time of arrest and provided a false name and address, I never received a summons or went to court for the resulting charge.

Fast forward 12 years. I have not been in any type of trouble (not even traffic tickets) since then. Six years ago, I got back into the same school that kicked me out and started this whole thing in the first place. I just finished my masters program and I want to get into education... See where this is going?

Everybody knows (which is why I haven't gotten into the field yet, when I could have after my first 60 credits, in case you were wondering) that to work as an educator you have to go through a FBI background check. At the end of the summer I'll be done with school and have no further excuse to put off getting a job in my field, so I have to deal with the real reason I haven't tried yet.

WILL MY 12 YEAR OLD ARREST SHOW UP ON MY BACKGROUND CHECK DUE TO FINGERPRINTING? Would a city jail (Newark, NJ) even report fingerprints from a misdemeanor CDS possesion tto the FBI.

If so, what steps should I take to get ahead of this situation so that I can be the man that I have become, in spite of the mistakes made by the boy that I was.

Any and all help with this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Long Read, I Know, But TIA To All Who Can Assist.

Answer 1

i'm pretty sure the statute of limitations is seven years for a felony except murder. misdemeanor is three. this in california.

Answer 2

Simply being arrested or detained is NO big deal.  It should not prevent you from teaching.

Yes, your prints are in the system.  Just read the application questions very carefully.  And be honest.  Usually, the questions ask have you ever been ARRESTED for a FELONY???  NO.  Another common question is have you ever been CONVICTED of a misdemeanor?  Yes, but trespassing.

Re your trespassing, apply to the sentencing court for a small fee for an expungement.  When granted, this will designate that the conviction was dismissed in the interests of justice.

Also, you can simply call the Newark police department or whatever agency arrested you and ask what is the status of the arrest?  Were you detained for your own safety?  Or is there no record?  Was a case filed and you failed to appear in court?  (If so, go to the court voluntarily and bring proof of your education, degree, transcript, employment, etc. and take care of the warrant.)

And remember, 12 years was a long time ago and simple possession of weed is now decriminalized in most States.

Answer 3

To be honest, you're going to have some explaining to do. And unfortunately, it may possibly cost you a job. Because, you claim to be "X" and the Prints come back to "Y".

The offenses you committed are not Felonies, so that may not be a problem for some School Districts you might apply for.

But you need to get over the attitude that someone criticizing you or voicing an opinion that you don't like means that you are being "Disrespected". You have a lot you could teach kids, especially through your own experience of how being stupid when you're young, can bite you in the *** later in life!  

Good luck and hope you make it!  

Answer 4

Sadly yes, the arrest will show up when they run your prints and they will know. Though I should point out that its not the end of the world. Just get a job in Canada :) Yes I am being serious. You can live right across the border in the US and travel over every morning for work. Its worth a try at least. My advise to you buddy is to take it easy and not stress about it. You will figure something out.

Answer 5

i would think since it was 12 years ago they would get passed it since it wasn't violent or related to a child. However i do not know the standards for becoming a educator. I'm sure they do drug testing and passing that i hope would help. Anyway i just wanted to say good luck and i hope everything works out for you. I understand your situation from personal experience.

Answer 6

To my knowledge, you will be identified by fingerprints.  I'm pretty sure that whenever they take your fingerprints, they are reported to the FBI.

That's why I don't do those fingerprint things at state fairs.

Answer 7

sorry bro, sounds like you got it together. the prints all go into a national system now but that being 12 yrs ago in a city like newark i'd say you had a 50-50 chance. newark does a lot of business through their jail so wen they came out with the n.c.i.c. i don't know how hip they'd be about entering old misdemeanors. I'd make my first application out side jersey, if nothing more than a test run. if they do turn up, there wont be someone waiting to arrest you when the results come back. if you do get caught the next step is to get a good lawyer

and try to get it expunged.      GOOD LUCK