Legal Question in Criminal Law in Pennsylvania

Hello. I am a twenty-six year old woman who is looking to go back to school. Unfortunately, I have a retail theft summary offense on my record. I have had to fill out some forms and jump through a few hoops to try to get into this school with this mark on my record, understandably. I also got into a scuffle with my college boyfriend two years after the retail theft charge. Throughout this scuffle, I damaged his bedroom door. He went to the police for it. I turned myself in and was told to pay for the door and there would be no mark on my record for this. And there is not. However, today I called the district court where this occurred because the school I applied to needed me to contact them to obtain my files and information pertaining to my retail theft summary offense. The woman told me that the "door incident" was showing up as a summary offense as well. Like I said, the only thing that has showed up on my background check is the retail theft summary offense, nothing else. My question is... What do I do about the other summary offense with the door that is showing up in the files at the district court? On my application I wrote that I was convicted of a crime once... which I thought was true... the retail theft which is the only mark on my record. The school is going to obtain information from the district office and will see the other summary offense. What should I do?


Asked on 5/23/11, 5:56 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Justin Gearty Law Office of Justin C Gearty Jr

The district court may just be showing something you were charged with and not something you were convicted of. THis may not appear on your PA state police criminal record check. If the retail theft is five years old or older, you may qualify to have this expunged from your record.

If that is the case or you would otherwise like to discuss this further, feel free to give me a call.

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Answered on 5/23/11, 6:07 pm


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