Yes, you can lose your job if you’re charged with sexual assault lawyer in Houston Texas.
An Arrest doesn’t Mean You’ll Automatically Lose Your Job
Texas is an at-will state, which means your employer can fire you if you were arrested. However, it’s up to your employer whether or not they do so.
The circumstances of your arrest and your job will play large parts in whether your arrest leaves you unemployed.
If your profession requires security clearance or you deal with children or vulnerable adults, your employer may deem you a danger.
A Conviction Means You’ll Likely Lose Your Job
If you are convicted of sexual assault, you can expect to lose your job. This is especially true because you face at least two years imprisonment. If you’re locked up, you can expect that your employer won’t hold your job for any length of time, let alone several years.
An Arrest or Conviction Will Also Likely Make It Difficult to Get a New Job
Job applications often ask if you have been arrested or convicted of a crime. Potential employers often reject candidates, no matter how qualified, when they see someone has been in serious trouble with the law. This is especially true for crimes like sexual assault. Even if you don’t admit to an arrest or conviction, it will typically show up on a background check.
There are certain laws about background checks, though. In Texas, potential employers must give written notice that a background check will be done and receive written authorization for the background check.
If the employer decides to reject a candidate, they must let the candidate know why and give them a copy of the report. They must also give them the name and address of the service who performed the background check.
You Can Lose Your Professional License If You Are Convicted
If your job requires a professional license, you will likely need to change industries. This is because a criminal conviction above a Class C misdemeanor could mean revocation of your current professional license or denial of a new application.
Will the Sexual Assault Charge Remain on My Record?
Yes. Your sexual crime charge will remain on your criminal record, even if the charge was dismissed. It’s important to note that a background check for a job won’t consider an arrest or conviction older than seven years if the job pays less than $75,000 a year. However, if the employer runs the background search themselves, they could see an arrest or conviction more than seven years old.
A dropped sexual assault charge is better than a conviction. You can explain an arrest, but a conviction is a record that is hard for a potential employer to ignore.
What Other Penalties Will I Face for Sexual Assault?
If you are convicted of sexual assault, the penalties you face depend on the severity of the assault. If you were convicted of second-degree felony sexual assault, you will spend between 2 and 20 years in prison and owe $10,000 in fines. If you were convicted of first-degree felony sexual assault, you will spend between 5 and 99 years in prison and owe $10,000 in fines.
You will likely also lose your right to vote or possess a firearm for a time. You may be unable to obtain a loan or a mortgage. You will also likely be unable to live where you want as you’ll be on the sex offender registry. You could lose family and friends, face humiliation and social stigma, and even lose custody of your kids.
However, remember that an arrest or charge is not a conviction. You have hope. You have Jay Blass Cohen and the Blass Law team.
Defenses Against Sexual Assault Charges
There are a few defenses we can use to protect your freedom and future:
- Alibi: We prove you were somewhere else when the alleged sexual assault occurred.
- Mistaken identity: We prove that the victim misidentified you.
- Consent: We prove that the alleged victim consented (or you believed they consented) to the sexual activity.
- False allegation: We prove the alleged victim lied about what happened.
- Violation of your rights: We will work to prove that law enforcement or the prosecutor violated your rights during the sexual assault investigation, arrest, or prosecution.
Our team will use our 15 years of experience to determine the best option for you.
Jay Will Protect Your Freedom, Your Future, and Your Job
When you work with our criminal defense team, we fight hard to keep you out of prison, off the registry, and in your home—with your current job, if possible.
We’ll fight to keep your record as clean as possible by getting the charges dropped as soon as we can.
If we can’t get your charges dropped, we will start prepping a robust case. This process may involve:
- Investigating the situation
- Determining whether you have a solid alibi
- Identifying any witnesses
- Seeing whether the police made mistakes or engaged in misconduct
- Determining what defense applies best in your case
Jay has been a criminal defense attorney his entire career. Over that time, he has fought to keep innocent people innocent and to give people who have made mistakes the second chance they need. Because Jay has been in Houston his entire career, he has dealt with all the local judges and attorneys.
He knows how these prosecutors think. This allows us to remain a step ahead, building cases against the tactics they haven’t even used yet.
Protect Your Future With Blass Law
We won’t sugarcoat it, the road forward can be difficult but you have options. You have our team in your corner. The Blass Law team is ready to stand by you and fight for a future clear of prison time or stigma.
Call us today to get started with a confidential consultation. We help people facing criminal charges in Houston and the surrounding area. See what we can do for you today.