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I am an AA Male, URM, and have a LSAC GPA of 2.9-3.1 and have been scoring pretty well on the practice LSAT's I've been taking (169-173).

I attend Howard University and Graduate in the fall of 2013 with a Political Science degree (Economics Minor.)

I was charged with 4th degree burglary (the least serious), theft of over $1000 and resisting arrest. However, all of these charges were given a ruling of Nolle Prosequi (Not guilty), the case closed and I was not convicted. The incident followed a long story of falsification and perjury that led to the aforesaid.

Nonetheless, my question is, what exactly are my chances at the same law schools that are accepting URM splitters like myself? What, if anything, can I do when applying to nullify some of the negative effects this occurence may have on my application?

(Sidenote: I cannot have it expunged from my record until my 1L year.)

If you were found not guilty, there is nothing to expunge and they won't impact you. If you pled to something else or it was part of a deal, could be a huge deal.

However, Nolle Prosequi does not mean not guilty. The charges were dropped, that isn't a not guilty verdict. So, it'll depend why the charges were dropped and how you explain it. Do not, however, describe yourself as having been adjudged not guilty.

The Duck wrote:If you were found not guilty, there is nothing to expunge and they won't impact you. If you pled to something else or it was part of a deal, could be a huge deal.

My disposition was Nolle Prosequi. I did not partake in a deal or plea in any capacity, the reason for that disposition was a lack and inconsistency in evidence and witness testimony. Do you think that it will still play a large role in my admission to law school?

LSAT>LDAC wrote:

The Duck wrote:If you were found not guilty, there is nothing to expunge and they won't impact you. If you pled to something else or it was part of a deal, could be a huge deal.

My disposition was Nolle Prosequi. I did not partake in a deal or plea in any capacity, the reason for that disposition was a lack and inconsistency in evidence and witness testimony. Do you think that it will still play a large role in my admission to law school?

You'll be fine, man. There's murderers in law school

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/201 ... ane_l.html

LSAT>LDAC wrote:

The Duck wrote:If you were found not guilty, there is nothing to expunge and they won't impact you. If you pled to something else or it was part of a deal, could be a huge deal.

My disposition was Nolle Prosequi. I did not partake in a deal or plea in any capacity, the reason for that disposition was a lack and inconsistency in evidence and witness testimony. Do you think that it will still play a large role in my admission to law school?

You were not convicted. Relax, brah.

Go take a PT.

Nova wrote:

LSAT>LDAC wrote:

The Duck wrote:If you were found not guilty, there is nothing to expunge and they won't impact you. If you pled to something else or it was part of a deal, could be a huge deal.

My disposition was Nolle Prosequi. I did not partake in a deal or plea in any capacity, the reason for that disposition was a lack and inconsistency in evidence and witness testimony. Do you think that it will still play a large role in my admission to law school?

You were not convicted. Relax, brah.

Go take a PT.

+1
Also, get an avatar boy damn

Thanks lol

LSAT>LDAC wrote:Thanks lol

NP my dude, just a little noob ball busting. On a serious note, PM me and I'll let you in on some info. AA male here too.

The Duck wrote:If you were found not guilty, there is nothing to expunge and they won't impact you. If you pled to something else or it was part of a deal, could be a huge deal.

However, Nolle Prosequi does not mean not guilty. The charges were dropped, that isn't a not guilty verdict. So, it'll depend why the charges were dropped and how you explain it. Do not, however, describe yourself as having been adjudged not guilty.

This is not true. An arrest record still exists which can be expunged. In most states a dismissal allows for immediate expungement without a waiting period.

I have a friend who was arrested (not convicted) for something far less serious (drug possession), and charges were dropped. He had a 170 and a 3.9 and did not get into any top 50 school he applied to, even UCLA and Fordham. Fact of the matter is some schools take this very seriously, even if there's no conviction. There was an arrest for a very serious crime. It will almost certainly hurt your chances of admission at several schools, at least.

Besides, even if you get it expunged, you've still got to mention it to most schools in the application process. So waiting isn't going to help either.

I was charged with 4th degree burglary (the least serious), theft of over $1000 and resisting arrest. However, all of these charges were given a ruling of Nolle Prosequi (Not guilty), the case closed and I was not convicted. The incident followed a long story of falsification and perjury that led to the aforesaid.

Hopefully this is not how you explain this situation in your addendum. In addition to being factually inaccurate re: Nolle Prosequi, it comes across as disingenuous (what are you, OJ? everyone's out to get you, it seems) and pretentiously worded. The "aforesaid?" Really?

"The incident followed a long story of falsification and perjury that led to the aforesaid." ??????????

Writing like this should be a bigger concern with respect to law school applications than your brush with the law.

Don't you just HATE it when you get booked for burglary and resisting arrest but you're like, TOTALLY innocent. Man. Happens to me all the time.

(That will be adcomm's reaction, or any sane person's reaction, to your lame excuse about 'falsification.')

wiglaf1228 wrote:I have a friend who was arrested (not convicted) for something far less serious (drug possession), and charges were dropped. He had a 170 and a 3.9 and did not get into any top 50 school he applied to, even UCLA and Fordham. Fact of the matter is some schools take this very seriously, even if there's no conviction. There was an arrest for a very serious crime. It will almost certainly hurt your chances of admission at several schools, at least.

Anecdotes are anecdotal. None of us know how the charge will affect his cycle. Your friend must have had something else wrong with his app. I have a friend who has two drug charges, a low GPA, and a sub 170 LSAT, who is sitting pretty on scholarship at a T20. FWIW...

wiglaf1228 wrote:Don't you just HATE it when you get booked for burglary and resisting arrest but you're like, TOTALLY innocent. Man. Happens to me all the time.

(That will be adcomm's reaction, or any sane person's reaction, to your lame excuse about 'falsification.')

If there was remotely enough evidence to convict an African American male of burglary and resisting arrest, I would have been convicted and therefore unable to make an 'excuse.' You should probably focus practicing your judicial judgement of 'any sane person' on anything within the scope of, I dont know... monuments of judicial precedence.

Nonetheless, I have drafted an explaination of the actual occurance, I simply wanted to state the facts of the case in my post because I do understand that though I was not convicted it will show up. I do also know that I am not going to be excluded from all T50 application pools, that any and every admissions committee is not going to insist I am a criminal, and that I am not and will not be falsely presenting the occurances of my case.

So I'm not asking for psudo-sarcasm (if it could even be called that,) or to be told that the world of law school as I know it has been obliterated. Im simply asking what schools would I be looking at having stronger possibilities in acceptance, or any beneficial information in that regard. Appreciate it.