How Criminal Convictions Can Affect Your Professional License

Regardless of what your profession is, if your job requires you to have a license under Kansas or Missouri law, you could be at risk for disciplinary action which may lead to a loss of your license if you are convicted of a crime.  Of course, what the crime is, the severity of the crime, and the number of prior convictions all play a role into the potential loss of a professional license.  Further, how you communicate the criminal conviction to your professional licensing board also plays a role.  The more honest and forthright you are with the licensing board, the more lenient the licensing board may be on you.

Depending on what your profession is, a criminal conviction may have a greater or lesser impact than for other professions.  If the criminal conduct is directly linked to the profession, or may have a significant effect on the professional’s ability to carry out his or her job duties, then the penalties may be harsher.  For example, if a veterinarian is convicted of animal cruelty, this would likely alert the Kansas Board of Veterinary Examiners or the Missouri Board of Veterinary Medicine that the veterinarian should no longer be in practice.  On the other hand, if an athletic trainer was convicted of possession of a small amount of marijuana, and such conduct did not occur while on the job, then the Kansas Board of Healing Arts or Missouri Board of Healing Arts may not consider this criminal charge to be one that causes the professional to lose his or her athletic training license.

The Range of Penalties for Disciplinary Actions Against Licensed Professionals

Penalties for professional misconduct range from very minor to very severe. On the minor end, a professional may receive a private reprimand, or slap on the wrist, so to speak (i.e., as long as you don’t commit another crime, you can keep your professional license and continue to work).  The moderate range involves a public reprimand.  For example, a professional’s name may be listed in a publication to show that he or she was disciplined for being convicted of a crime that had, or may have had, some impact on his or her profession.  On the most severe end, a professional could lose his or her license outright without the possibility of getting it back.

Why You Need an Attorney By Your Side

A professional license defense attorney can explain to you all of the potential consequences of your criminal conviction that occurs during the time you have a professional license.  An attorney can also help you in disclosing your criminal conviction to the appropriate board if the board does not already know about it.  Further, an attorney can defend and advocate on your behalf to plead to the board why you deserve to keep your professional license.  While you certainly can fight the board on your own, it is always a good idea to have an expert by your side.

The Sanger Law Office Can Help Your With All Your Professional Licensing Needs

No matter what your situation may be, if your professional license is at risk, or if you simply have questions about how a criminal conviction may affect your professional license, you should speak with a professional license defense attorney as soon as possible.  With her prior experience as a prosecutor, Danielle Sanger of the Sanger Law Office knows what to expect from potential disciplinary proceedings in Kansas and Missouri.  She provides her clients with the devotion they deserve and advocates for them to retain their professional licenses.  To schedule your free consultation with the Sanger Law Office, contact our office today by calling 785-979-4353, or you may contact us online.

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