Florida state law places numerous requirements and restrictions on people with professional licenses. Most of these are required actions a license holder must take to remain in good standing with their respective professional organization, as well as with state authorities. One of the most important requirements for virtually every licensed professional in the Sunshine State is reporting criminal convictions soon after they are passed down by a criminal court.
Failure to report a conviction or plea in Clermont could not only lead to you losing your professional license, but also to a host of other administrative and personal consequences. These may include substantial fines and reputational damage that may take years to overcome. If you are dealing with an allegation along these lines, your next priority should be seeking help from an experienced defense lawyer, who has handled similar cases successfully in the past.
Among other things, Florida Statutes § 455.227 requires all professional license holders who have been convicted of or have entered a plea of “guilty” or “nolo contendere” to a criminal offense in any legal jurisdiction to report that information within 30 days. Usually, you are required to report to whatever state board is in charge of overseeing professional licensing for your specific field of expertise. If no such board exists for your profession, you must instead report your conviction to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
This requirement applies to all types of convictions, including both misdemeanors and felonies, as well as traffic violations categorized as criminal offenses instead of just infractions. That includes convictions for driving under the influence (DUI). While each professional board handles criminal convictions against license holders in different ways, a non-exhaustive list of professions which this basic reporting requirement applies to includes:
An experienced Clermont attorney can offer more specific guidance about failure to report a conviction, and what rules may apply to you specifically, based on your criminal history and licensing requirements.
Every profession with licensing requirements, that also adheres to the reporting requirements set by the abovementioned statute, has the authority to respond to a failure to report a conviction or plea in Clermont by stripping the non-reporting individual of their license. Certain professions may impose additional sanctions as well. For instance, failing to report a conviction as a licensed real estate agent can result in fines of between $250 to $1,000 in addition to professional license revocation, and police officers and firefighters who fail to report convictions and have their license revoked as a result may lose their pensions as well.
All that being said, the various professional boards treat different types of criminal offenses with different degrees of severity. A criminal conviction for fraud has unique implications for someone licensed as a CPA compared to someone licensed to provide medical care as an emergency medical technician (EMT). Especially for first-time offenders, support from a knowledgeable lawyer could smooth out any delays in reporting a conviction or guilty plea, and minimize the long-term professional consequences that this case result will have for you.
Even if you do not face any additional criminal sanctions for keeping your criminal history under wraps, the professional repercussions of a failure to report a conviction or plea in Clermont can be wide-reaching and life-altering in many situations. As with any legal matter, you have rights when it comes to defending yourself against this kind of accusation.
The Umansky Law Firm could provide the tailored guidance you may need to achieve the most favorable resolution possible. Call today to schedule a confidential consultation.
The Umansky Law Firm Criminal Defense & Injury Attorneys
