Originally Posted by
citation35hf
Rick-
As a law enforcement officer if I run someone thru NCIC/IDACS any arrest that occurred when they were 18 years of age or older or if they were under 18 and the prosecuting attorney/district attorney had decided to charge them as an adult would show up. These under 18 year old arrest do not get put into the computer system.
Now, it is not to say that these documents do not exist in a file cabinet somewhere if I was arrested and charged as a minor. Nothing would keep whoever is doing a background investigation from contacting that court/prosecutor/etc and obtaining those files. It is just extremely difficult for them to locate the existence of them unless, of course, you disclose this to the person/employer asking.
Once again, I don't care if it’s the FBI, American Airlines, Secret Service, etc, if I had been arrested as a juvenile and charged on a juvenile, if asked if I had ever been arrested I would say... No. Just me though.
When you apply for a federal security clearance you have to sign at the bottom that you have provided full and accurate information, and there are no exceptions for juvenile indiscretions. Lying on this form is a federal felony...if you want to go there, knock yourself but maybe you shouldn't tell other people that it's OK. Most people joining the military are so young that juvenile records are they only thing they have to go on...they will not just let that slide.
BTW, the DoD does not just run an NCIC check and call it good. The easiest way for them to catch you is a multi-scope reference check. They talk to the references you gave them, but they don't ask them about YOU...if they had something bad to say about you, you wouldn't have listed them as references, right? What they ask your friends for is for the names of OTHER people who know you...ask enough people and eventually they'll find out about things.
And I know of at least one major AAirline which supposedly used to do a similar sort of background check. But I think you're right about most airlines, most of the time.
Most minor juvie offenses will not be held against you if you are old enough and experienced enough to be applying to an airline anyway...disclosing such an offense would probably be viewed as an indication of your honesty (hopefully you don't have a track record).