CONSEQUENCES BEYOND THE COURTROOM

A Mistake During A Student's College Years Can Haunt Long After Graduation

Pay $1,500. Attend an alcohol treatment program. Perform 112 hours of
useful public service. Spend one year in jail for a misdemeanor
conviction. Lose your license.

These penalties can happen to any student convicted of a DUI or MIP.
But the penalties do not stop haunting a convicted student once they
set foot outside the courthouse door.

Most applications for jobs, apartment rentals and requests for
financial aid at schools require information about a student's convictions.

Evan Icolari, associate director of the University of Colorado's
financial aid office, said that a drug conviction affects a student's
eligibility for receiving financial aid.

"If a student is charged with a drug conviction or intent to sell
while in school, they lose their eligibility for one year," Icolari said.

A conviction will not prohibit financial aid eligibility unless the
crime is a drug violation or the student is incarcerated for the
crime, Icolari said.

In 2005, the CU Police Department reported 74 drug violations,
including possession and intent to sell, up from 49 violations in
2004. Liquor violations, including minors in possession, totaled 251,
up from 224 violations in 2004.

Drug and sex offender convictions may affect a student's chances for
employment in Boulder, depending on the company.

Patty Day, owner of Foothill Limousine based in Boulder, said the
requirements for limo drivers are strict.

"You got to be squeaky clean. You can never have had a DUI. You can't
have been convicted of a felony. Ever," Day said. "A lot of CU
students will come in here, in their sharp black suits, but a lot of
them won't pass the drug test."

Day said her company must maintain high standards because they are
regulated by the Department of Transportation and are often
responsible for up to ten people and the care of children.

Other companies, such as Cosmo's Pizza on 1325 Broadway St., said
most delivery drivers who work there are free of drug or alcohol convictions.

"It's a pretty tight family here. I don't think the issue (of
convictions) has ever come up," said employee Rob Birdsong.

Anna McComas, owner of the Fresh Hair salon at 1738 Pearl St., said
she does not automatically condemn a person because of a past crime.

"All I care about is if they can cut hair and are licensed," McComas
said. Students may receive punishments from CU, which maintains a
"strike" policy regarding drug and alcohol violations. Violations of
school drug policies on or off campus may result in a student's
suspension after three strikes, according to the CU Judicial Affairs office.

The Judicial Affairs office adds that any suspensions or expulsions
appear on a student's academic transcript and are not wiped clean
once probation is completed. However, potential employers do not have
access to a student's record unless a student gives written permission.

Matt Bender, a 22-year-old computer science major, received a
"nuisance party" ticket at age 19 and was convicted of a misdemeanor.
Bender paid fines and court fees, completed community service and
served one year of probation for both the university and Boulder
County. His apartment residence told Bender and his roommates that if
it happened again, "they would get kicked out."

When Bender applied for his job with the CUPD, he revealed his
misdemeanor conviction to his interviewer.

"He was understanding and knew that we are college students and that
we drink," Bender said.

Apartment complexes like Boulder Creek Apartment Homes "take
(convictions) into consideration," said Omar Olivas, an employee at
Boulder Creek's regional office. "It's really on a case by case basis."

The application for residency at Boulder Creek Apartment Homes reads:
"Applicants or occupants will not be accepted if any of the following
statements apply: ... At any time, have had a conviction or deferred
adjudication for a misdemeanor sex related crime. Within the last 10
years, have had a conviction, deferred adjudication, or open warrant
that is a misdemeanor drug related crime..."

Other Boulder apartment complexes say they simply ask permission for
a background check.

Greg Bastis, manager at The Sink on 1165 13th St., said, "We do not
automatically disqualify (convicted applicants), but it does stack
the cards again them."

However, when it comes to hiring a registered sex offender, Bastis
said, "Absolutely not. A lot of our employees are men and we have
20-year-old women (customers)."