There is an interesting article in the Los Angeles Times about how most of the top colleges in the United States are inquiring as to whether a student has ever had contact with the law or been disciplined at their high school. Apparently, these days a DUI or other misdemeanor violation of the law can make the difference between getting into a good college or not. One of the colleges comments on how it generously does not reject applicants who were disciplined for smoking a cigarette at school.
The times have definitely changed. It used to be that people understood that part of being a kid is making mistakes and learning from them. These days, kids are expected to be perfect. Many of the schools in the Kansas City area will take disciplinary action against kids who have any scrape with the law, even if it happened over the summer when school was not in session! Schools regularly bar students from participating in school activities if they are so much as charged, much less convicted, with an offense like minor in possession (MIP). Our law firm has seen star players with scholarship opportunities kicked off of sports teams for minor offenses. Students also get kicked out of National Honor Society, prohibited from coming to school dances, or even going to watch the school’s games. Now, this kind of school discipline, for things that happen off-campus, in addition to the consequences in court, can prevent kids from getting into college. Convictions have also for a long time prevented students from qualifying for many different student loan opportunities.
This latest development highlights how important every case is and how serious even the most minor offense must be taken. Unfortunately, there are harsher and harsher consequences for what, to some, may seem like minor transgressions. Our law firm fights every Kansas and Missouri MIP or DUI case to the fullest extent possible for just this reason. Fortunately, we have been able to prevent a lot of kids from suffering convictions or school discipline by quick and aggressive work on their behalves. If you or someone you know is cited for DUI, MIP, shoplifting or any other offense it is extremely important that they obtain effective representation. It could make a huge difference in what life options are available in the future.