Legal Question in Employment Law in Tennessee

You have used the word "arrest," were you convicted?

A mere arrest is not evidence of anything, sayeth the Supreme Court of Tennessee, but a conviction is a judicial fact that you committed a crime.

Further, our case may have been diverted, dismissed, and expunged.

Even if you were convicted of doing someting stupid when you were young, that does not automatically block you from a career in law enforcement.

So first: Find out what the actual status of your old case was (convicted?/diverted?/ dismissed?). Then carefully complete your job application accurately in response to only the exact questions asked, which should be "Have you even been CONVICTED ..."

Under certain circumstances you can be asked "Have you ever been ARRESTED ..." and if that is the case, you must be truthful.

Lying, even on a minor matter, is plenty of reason not to hire you.