Even seemingly minor criminal convictions like a DUI can damage the future prospects of a Savannah resident in many ways.
For example, many employers, including the military, look at criminal convictions when deciding whether to accept a candidate.
For those Georgians interested in enlisting, any so-called judicial restraint is a disqualifier. A “judicial restraint” includes probation, parole or bond.
In other words, someone with a pending charge or who is serving any type of sentence, including a suspended sentence on probation, may not join the military.
Those who have ever been convicted of a felony will have to get special permission to join the military. Whether the military grants this waiver will depend on a number of circumstances.
It is also important to remember that the military will exclude those whose criminal records the military considers significant, even if the person has never been convicted of a felony. Certain misdemeanors may make higher ups concerned that a person is not a good fit for military life.
A person who is already in the military may face a less than honorable discharge
Furthermore, if an active servicemember gets in trouble in Georgia’s civilian courts, the military may impose its own discipline on that servicemember.
This discipline can include a less than honorable discharge from the military and all the financial and other consequences that entails.
Any Savannah resident who is facing a criminal charge should understand that the consequences of a conviction can last far longer even than any potential jail or probation term.
However, if a person is in the military or has aspirations to enlist, then they should make certain they understand all of their legal options when they are facing even a seemingly minor criminal offense in Georgia’s civilian courts.
