Drug charges and Hiring

A

Anonymous

Guest
So, I'm in a rather unique situation here and I need to get a gameplan figured out.

I was arrested a few days ago on a DUI drugs charge. I took prescription anti-anxiety medication in an effort to sleep. I have very bad insomnia and I'm lucky to get 4-5 hours a night.

Long story short, I settled in for the night, blacked out and came-to in a holding cell. Apparently I had gotten dressed, walked to my car, drove about 500 feet and hit a parked car in front of a cop. I don't remember any of this and I'm not saying this to save face, I truly don't remember any of this. I live on a police beat and the arresting officer told me this a couple days after when he recognized me on a walk. I didn't even recognize him.

Here's where it gets more complicated. The night before, I'm dropping a friend off at his house. He says to me "I'm on thin ice with my girlfriend, please take this for me" and presents some sort of pill to which I responded "that's very small, just hide it" and he presses and says "she's really been on my case, she'll break up with me" etc etc etc. I relented as they're good for each other and I didn't want to see that happen.

Unbeknownst to me, I get a letter from the police a couple days later with a prisoner's receipt saying "2 pills resembling Ecstasy". Apparently I grabbed the same pants I wore that night. Good luck convincing any DA / Judge / Prosecutor of this.

Anyways, I'm 2 months from getting my A&P, and I've established myself as a very conscientious worker with great attention to detail. I don't even drink, I don't smoke pot, I've never had a run in with the law before and I'm terrified.

In examining my options, I'm wondering if this will permanently disqualify me from ever being hired at a major. While my arresting charge was the DUI only, there is nothing stopping a DA from adding this charge at arraignment. I live in california and could be offered a deferment program, which would allow a not guilty plea and eventual dismissal. I have a lawyer and plan to plea guilty to the DUI as case law finds that this is still voluntary on my part and I'm just lucky that no one got hurt.

Should this show up on my federal background check as a dismissal, will every hiring manager bin my application immediately due to it being a drug charge? I am about 1 year away from a 4 year economics degree and could otherwise just seek employment in a non-aviation private sector job, but greatly prefer AMT work. I'm great at it and it's the first time I've found fulfillment in work.

I appreciate the input. While it's not pilot related, you guys might be able to offer some insight.
 
Daleandee said:
That's a great story! You should be a writer ...
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geneseib said:
You don't really want to be a pilot.
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One of the airports I go to, there is a guy who always is critiquing our landings, too high, too low, too loud, we never are in a correct position while we are fueling, the list goes on.

My co worker looked him up, guy is a non instrumented rated private pilot and his plane has hangar rash for days.


With how the medical world is handing out pills like candy these days, and the big media is all but flat our encouraging drug use, I don’t think the guy posted nearly enough to judge his ability to be a pilot.

I think he needs BOTH a good criminal lawyer and a good aviation lawyer, lots of money and patience
 
Anonymous said:
So, I'm in a rather unique situation here and I need to get a gameplan figured out.

I was arrested a few days ago on a DUI drugs charge. I took prescription anti-anxiety medication in an effort to sleep. I have very bad insomnia and I'm lucky to get 4-5 hours a night.

Long story short, I settled in for the night, blacked out and came-to in a holding cell. Apparently I had gotten dressed, walked to my car, drove about 500 feet and hit a parked car in front of a cop. I don't remember any of this and I'm not saying this to save face, I truly don't remember any of this. I live on a police beat and the arresting officer told me this a couple days after when he recognized me on a walk. I didn't even recognize him.

Here's where it gets more complicated. The night before, I'm dropping a friend off at his house. He says to me "I'm on thin ice with my girlfriend, please take this for me" and presents some sort of pill to which I responded "that's very small, just hide it" and he presses and says "she's really been on my case, she'll break up with me" etc etc etc. I relented as they're good for each other and I didn't want to see that happen.

Unbeknownst to me, I get a letter from the police a couple days later with a prisoner's receipt saying "2 pills resembling Ecstasy". Apparently I grabbed the same pants I wore that night. Good luck convincing any DA / Judge / Prosecutor of this.

Anyways, I'm 2 months from getting my A&P, and I've established myself as a very conscientious worker with great attention to detail. I don't even drink, I don't smoke pot, I've never had a run in with the law before and I'm terrified.

In examining my options, I'm wondering if this will permanently disqualify me from ever being hired at a major. While my arresting charge was the DUI only, there is nothing stopping a DA from adding this charge at arraignment. I live in california and could be offered a deferment program, which would allow a not guilty plea and eventual dismissal. I have a lawyer and plan to plea guilty to the DUI as case law finds that this is still voluntary on my part and I'm just lucky that no one got hurt.

Should this show up on my federal background check as a dismissal, will every hiring manager bin my application immediately due to it being a drug charge? I am about 1 year away from a 4 year economics degree and could otherwise just seek employment in a non-aviation private sector job, but greatly prefer AMT work. I'm great at it and it's the first time I've found fulfillment in work.

I appreciate the input. While it's not pilot related, you guys might be able to offer some insight.
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If you consented to a urine or blood test, you might beat the misdemeanor DUI charge because the prescription you took may not be one they test for.

The pills may get you convicted of felony drug possession or you may get double top secret probation with drug abuse treatment depending on the jurisdiction.

You need an attorney.
 
I'm reminded of a student that cheated the hell out of an exam. When testifying to the Academic misconduct folks she claimed she didn't remember doing it, and that she had a "dissociative event". How someone can have a "dissociative event" and be in charge of anything more than paperclips beats me.

If the OP can sleep walk his way into a car crash, perhaps he should seek opportunities in the wild world of manual labor. I hope the FAA doesn't let him near an airplane ever. Sorry, just how I see it.
 
Clip4 said:
If you consented to a urine or blood test, you might beat the misdemeanor DUI charge because the prescription you took may not be one they test for.
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This means squat. They don't need a drug test to convict. All they need is the officer's observations of impairment. The fact that the poster told the officer he had taken (even legal prescription) drugs is also evidence against him.

You need an attorney.
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That is for sure. Both for the DUI and for the felony possession charges when the pills come back to be MDMA.

Yes, luckily he might get deferrals on both (wet reckless or whatever for the DUI and a PC1000 or the like on the molly) but best not to have to rely on that.
 
BladeSlap said:
With how the medical world is handing out pills like candy these days, and the big media is all but flat our encouraging drug use, I don’t think the guy posted nearly enough to judge his ability to be a pilot.
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Sure he did. All one needs to do is read his post. He’s about to become a certificated mechanic, not a pilot. “A&P” doesn’t stand for Aviators & Pilots. Hope this clears it up. ;)
 
I'm not a lawyer, don't live in California, and may not even be a human.....but I thought California does not allow employers to ask about arrests that don't result in conviction, which includes cases that result in a pre-trial diversion (i.e. no guilty plea). You should ask your lawyer about that -- it might keep this all from being an issue with a future employer, at least in California.
 
Daleandee said:
That's a great story! You should be a writer ...
Click to expand...
An incredible work of fiction, with some non-fiction mixed in! My favorite part was when he said, " I relented as they're good for each other and I didn't want to see that happen." The couple that lie to each other, hide drugs and drug use from each other, etc, are good for each other...gripping read!
 
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Lachlan said:
Sure he did. All one needs to do is read his post. He’s about to become a certificated mechanic, not a pilot. “A&P” doesn’t stand for Aviators & Pilots. Hope this clears it up. ;)
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I read “the majors”, but you are correct, and am I with the main point
 
ColoPilot said:
I'm not a lawyer, don't live in California, and may not even be a human.....but I thought California does not allow employers to ask about arrests that don't result in conviction, which includes cases that result in a pre-trial diversion (i.e. no guilty plea). You should ask your lawyer about that -- it might keep this all from being an issue with a future employer, at least in California.
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Federal law, at least when it comes to aviation, would likely preempt the California prohibition on asking about arrests that did not result in convictions.
 
Country Flier said:
An incredible work of fiction, with some non-fiction mixed in! My favorite part was when he said, " I relented as they're good for each other and I didn't want to see that happen." The couple that lie to each other, hide drugs and drug use from each other, etc, are good for each other...gripping read!
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It truly is a great piece of writing.

Can you believe a guy that sleep deprived is gonna be an A&P in two months and be working on airplanes?

I can't think of a single friend I have that would ask me to hide drugs for them or me being stupid enough to do it.

Can you wrap your head around a sleep medication that puts you so far out that you are involved in a car crash and taken to a holding cell and haven't woken up?

If you were not able to be awakened wouldn't you have been admitted to a hospital?

... and (drum roll please) the police find what is believed to be Ecstasy in your pockets and they let you know two days later by a written note with your prisoner's receipt.

As Joey would say ... "Come on man! Here's the deal!' I just ain't buying this one ...

I really do suspect that someone here has gone anonymous and is trolling the board.
 
Daleandee said:
Can you wrap your head around a sleep medication that puts you so far out that you are involved in a car crash and taken to a holding cell and haven't woken up?
.

I really do suspect that someone here has gone anonymous and is trolling the board.
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Ambien will do that. Sleep walking...sleep eating…people have driven 15 miles to Walmart and spent hundreds of dollars Unknowingly.

He could have easily been in ER awake. Alert. But off. The police will often bring people to the Er for med clearance. If you walked by someone doing this likely wouldn’t pick up on it. They can interact normally. Think of it like amnesia.
He says anti anxiety meds though- probably a benzodiazepine- you have to take a lot of them to do that. But only one ambien- that’s a hypnotic though
 
benyflyguy said:
Ambien will do that. Sleep walking...sleep eating…people have driven 15 miles to Walmart and spent hundreds of dollars Unknowingly.

He could have easily been in ER awake. Alert. But off. The police will often bring people to the Er for med clearance. If you walked by someone doing this likely wouldn’t pick up on it. They can interact normally. Think of it like amnesia.
He says anti anxiety meds though- probably a benzodiazepine- you have to take a lot of them to do that. But only one ambien- that’s a hypnotic though
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:dunno:
 
benyflyguy said:
Ambien will do that. Sleep walking...sleep eating…people have driven 15 miles to Walmart and spent hundreds of dollars Unknowingly.

He could have easily been in ER awake. Alert. But off. The police will often bring people to the Er for med clearance. If you walked by someone doing this likely wouldn’t pick up on it. They can interact normally. Think of it like amnesia.
He says anti anxiety meds though- probably a benzodiazepine- you have to take a lot of them to do that. But only one ambien- that’s a hypnotic though
Click to expand...
So will ecstasy in high doses (also, most street drugs nowadays are mixed with fentanyl which will definitely do that)...coincidence? LOL
 
Lachlan said:
Sure he did. All one needs to do is read his post. He’s about to become a certificated mechanic, not a pilot. “A&P” doesn’t stand for Aviators & Pilots. Hope this clears it up. ;)
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It's like people just have canned replies and don't concern themselves with the question presented.
 
Anonymous said:
Long story short, I settled in for the night, blacked out and came-to in a holding cell. Apparently I had gotten dressed, walked to my car, drove about 500 feet and hit a parked car in front of a cop. I don't remember any of this and I'm not saying this to save face, I truly don't remember any of this. I live on a police beat and the arresting officer told me this a couple days after when he recognized me on a walk. I didn't even recognize him.
Click to expand...

Depending on the drug you may have someting here, but you're going to need expert wittiness and good luck with that. Some have been known to get off with murder taking anti (insert favorite problem here)

Anonymous said:
Here's where it gets more complicated. The night before, I'm dropping a friend off at his house. He says to me "I'm on thin ice with my girlfriend, please take this for me" and presents some sort of pill to which I responded "that's very small, just hide it" and he presses and says "she's really been on my case, she'll break up with me" etc etc etc. I relented as they're good for each other and I didn't want to see that happen.

Unbeknownst to me, I get a letter from the police a couple days later with a prisoner's receipt saying "2 pills resembling Ecstasy". Apparently I grabbed the same pants I wore that night.
Click to expand...

You friend needs to come forward on this, but then again, being incredably stupid is not a defense.
 
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