When I was 19 years old i got a felony for a DUI and selling marijuana...

When I was 19 years old i got a felony for a DUI and selling marijuana, but i completed probation and drugcourt on time and paid my fines and was practically an A+ probationee.

Would this 100% completely and totally disqualify me from getting a job at a particle accelerator lab like Fermilab or the LHC? Or is there a possibility for a waiver?

I ask because I'm currently going to college for a PhD in Physics and am wondering if maybe it's all just a waste of time and money. If after the 8 years it takes to get my PhD and if i graduate with great grades and all, with no more legal trouble, is there still a possibility to get the job?

Do particle accelerator labs have an "absolutely not under absolutely any circumstances" type of policy on this?
Or could it possibly be a "follow your dreams and prove that youre worth it" type of scenario?

I asked the director of the physics department at my uni, but he said he's never heard of a felon trying to get a PhD in physics before, so he wasnt able to answer my question

Order a background check on yourself and see what comes up. If a background check pulls a felony, that'll be an issue for most employers.

Unless it's been sealed it will show up on a background check and you will have to disclose it to your employers anyway. If you don't disclose it, then you'll get caught and fired eventually. Also if you get fired for lying on an application, you'll pretty much never get a job anywhere ever again. Because you're a felon you also won't be able to obtain a security clearance, which might be a mitigating factor in some research groups.

Insofar as particle accelerators are concerned specifically, I can't say I know anything. If they have a rule against felons there almost certainly isn't a waiver because of the volume of applicants. Overall if you obtain a PhD I don't think it will be impossible for you to get postdocs. It's just going to be hard, because you're going to be chosen last among every other equally qualified candidate because of your conviction. You probably won't be able to get the best jobs, or work in the fanciest labs like Fermilab or the LHC.

t. Labor and industrial relations guy

Yeah, so here's the deal:

1) Most grad schools are very skeptical of any sort of blemish on your legal record, especially felonies. This actually is probably due to the fact that, as a graduate student, you will be expected to *teach* undergrads from time to time, and thus you could be a liability.

2) Depending on the employer, this could be a serious problem -- it really depends on the ethos of the firm. For example, a small startup in San Francisco would probably be much more understanding of the whole situation than DARPA, or some other alphabet-soup agency in Virginia, you feel me?

So, I would certainly not ignore the possibility that some doors may be closed for you already. I don't say this to be a dick, but I would rather not see you waste your time. That being said, I would look into the possibility of expunging your record.

As I understand it, some low-class felonies and misdemeanors can be removed, one charge at a time, given a certain amount of time has already passed since the conviction. I don't know what state you live in, but this could be your biggest chance, and I would consult a local attorney on the issue.

At the end of the day, do what you enjoy most, but don't forget that school will end eventually, and you'll need to put a roof over your head. Good luck, OP.

I'm this guy .

That's good news for OP, I didn't realize that the industry had become so lenient on the matter.

Are you sure about the whole felony and security clearance business? I thought those were only violent felonies or those involving firearms.

> felony for a DUI and selling marijuana
sounds fishy. why charge you with a felony for that?

Some states you can get your felonies expunged. Not sure about the process but it would be worth checking if your state will.

Obviously some people will trash your resume if they see felon, but with a phd in physics you probably have a much better chance of at least getting your foot in the door. I also think it could be interesting enough to get you a few interviews, if you're young.

OP here, I did get a "concealed weapon without a permit" charge too, but it was immediately dropped because it was just a pellet gun. It still shows on my record though because i live in ID and the courts are absolutely horrible at record keeping.

On that same note, I will look into expunging my charges considering i got a withheld judgement on them.

Im curious though as to wether or not top agencies like that will still be able to see the charges.

Maybe they want it expunged just so that other people will be unable to see my charges? Who knows?

Well, as far as security clearances go, I wasn't sure if places like Fermilab, LHC, etc required them

For me, having a PhD says a lot more about a person's character than a felony conviction, but only if he got the PhD after the conviction. The fact that OP's crime doesn't (based on what I know) involve moral turpitude is also good for him, but it depends on who's evaluating his application.

>Are you sure about the whole felony and security clearance business?
I'm not. I'm not FBI, so I wouldn't know for certain. It would depend on specifics of OP's case, and so on.

what is the point in prison if the system bans you for life from working a decent job as well? merica man.