Will a Misdemeanor Give me a Criminal Record?

-People ask us all the time, if I get a misdemeanor, will that give me a criminal record? And the answer really is, it depends on what happens with the case. So if the police arrest you for a misdemeanor, like, let's say, a DUI, and even if the prosecutor files charges, that alone does not give you a criminal record, because as we say in our society, you're innocent until proven guilty. However, if you're convicted of a misdemeanor in court, that will give you a permanent criminal record. Now keep in mind, there's only two ways you can be convicted. So one is if you plead guilty or no contest. If you basically go in and say, yeah, I did it. I'm guilty. Or if you go to trial and a judge or a jury finds you guilty, then you'll be convicted. Then you'll have a misdemeanor criminal record. Now a sort of related question that we get all the time is, do I have to disclose that on a job application? And the answer is, it depends on how the question is worded. Some applications will ask you, have you ever been convicted of a felony? And if that's the case, and you only have a misdemeanor on your record, then of course, you can truthfully answer, no. But if it asks you more generally, have you ever been convicted of a crime? and you have even a misdemeanor on your record, then you have to answer, yes. You do have to disclose that, unless the misdemeanor has been expunged.