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Oregon school administrator rises above drunk-driving arrest

If you've been accused of a drunk-driving offense, you may have serious concerns about how a conviction could affect your future. Whether you were convicted years ago or arrested over the past weekend, your concerns are legitimate and not to be taken lightly. But the incident doesn't have to ruin the rest of your life.

There have been many professionals in Oregon who have overcome charges of driving under the influence and gone on to thrive. Consider the case of a school superintendent in Salem, Oregon, who is currently a finalist for the same position in Seattle. She was heading a school district in another state in February 2000 when she was stopped by a highway patrol officer and later charged with speeding and driving under the influence. A police report said she became angry with the trooper and demanded to be released because of her position.

She pleaded guilty later that year to a reduced charge of driving while impaired. She was required to perform community service and attend a year-long alcohol awareness program, two penalties that could have had negative consequences for her public career as a superintendent.

When she applied to her current position in Salem in 2006, she was forthright about the conviction on her record. The chairman of the board for the school district said it wasn't a deterrent in the board's decision. Similarly, the school board president in Seattle said while the board was aware of it, the conviction didn't take the woman out of the running. "Obviously everything of relevance goes into the candidate's overall profile, but this was a long time ago," the president said. "I think it's something that does happen to people occasionally."

Of course, the seriousness of the offense can make a difference. The superintendent was convicted of a lesser charge due to a plea agreement she made with the help of her lawyer. Getting charges lowered or even dropped can obviously lower the impact a drunk-driving offense will have on your career and your reputation, so it pays to work with an attorney who's well-versed in defense of DUII and similar offenses.

Source: The Seattle Times, "Drunken-driving arrest isn't seen as obstacle for superintendent finalist Sandra Husk," Jack Broom and Brian M. Rosenthal, April 19, 2012

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