Davenport University Student Criminal Defense Attorney

Traditional Students vs. Adult Learners

Davenport has a unique student population compared to traditional four-year universities:

• Full-time students: about 52%
• Part-time students: about 48%

Nearly half of Davenport students are part-time adult learners who:

• Work full-time while attending school
• Have families depending on their income
• Are pursuing career changes or advancement
• Cannot afford to lose their current jobs
• Have limited financial resources for legal problems
• Face immediate employment consequences from criminal charges

For working adults, an arrest doesn't just threaten your education; it threatens your current livelihood and your family's financial security.

Business Program Dominance

Approximately 20% of Davenport students are in business programs (accounting, finance, management, marketing). Business careers are particularly vulnerable to criminal records:

• CPA certification requires character and fitness review
• Financial positions require trust and clean records
• Management roles require leadership credibility
• Corporate employers conduct thorough screening

Here's what most Davenport students don't realize: getting arrested doesn't just mean criminal court. You may also face a completely separate disciplinary process through Davenport's Student Conduct Office.

This means you could be fighting on two fronts simultaneously:

Criminal Court Proceedings (61st District Court / 17th Circuit Court)

• Prosecuted by Kent County Prosecutor's Office
• Constitutional rights apply (right to remain silent, right to attorney, etc.)
• Burden of proof: "Beyond a reasonable doubt"
• Potential outcomes: Conviction, plea deal, dismissal, diversion programs
• Consequences: Jail time, fines, probation, permanent criminal record

Davenport University Student Conduct Proceedings

• Conducted by Davenport's Student Conduct Office
• Lower burden of proof: "Preponderance of the evidence" (more likely than not)
• Limited due process rights compared to criminal court
• Potential outcomes: Warning, probation, suspension, expulsion
• Consequences: Removal from academic programs, notation on transcript, expulsion

Critical: Davenport can discipline you even if you're found not guilty in criminal court. The university can also take action for off-campus conduct.

Additionally, some Davenport programs require students to self-report arrests:

• Nursing students: Must report arrests to program directors (accreditation requirement)
• Accounting students: May need to disclose for internships with CPA firms
• Students with internships: Internship agreements often require disclosure

Failing to report when required can result in immediate dismissal, even if the criminal charges are eventually dropped.

Minor in Possession of Alcohol (MIP)

MIP is common for younger Davenport students. Under Michigan's 2018 law a first offense is a civil infraction (fine up to $100) and a second or third is a misdemeanor. It still appears on background checks, can trigger Davenport discipline, and can violate internship conduct agreements.

Retail Fraud (Shoplifting): Especially Damaging for Business Students

Retail fraud is a crime of dishonesty, which makes it particularly serious for business, accounting, and finance students: the state Board of Accountancy can deny or delay CPA certification over it, and banks, finance firms, and accounting employers screen it out. Even self-checkout "mistakes" get prosecuted, and an arrest during an internship usually means immediate termination.

Embezzlement and Fraud: When Internships Go Wrong

Because Davenport emphasizes internships and work experience, students sometimes face felony charges from on-the-job mistakes such as taking from a register, misusing a company card, or falsifying expense reports. These permanently disqualify CPA certification and finance/management employment, can bring civil suits and prison time, and damage the employer relationships you'll need after graduation.

Fake ID Possession

Using a fake ID is a misdemeanor and a crime of dishonesty, which is a real problem for business students, since CPA certification, finance roles, and management careers all treat integrity as essential.

Drug Possession Charges

Marijuana is still illegal under 21 (a civil infraction), and any drug conviction can affect current employment and, critically for nursing and healthcare students, state licensure and background-checked clinical placements.

OWI / DUI Charges

For Davenport's many commuting adult learners, an OWI/DUI conviction and its license suspension can mean job loss, missed internships, and licensing scrutiny (CPA, nursing). Drivers under 21 face Michigan's 0.02% Zero Tolerance limit. See our OWI/DUI defense page for the full breakdown.

Domestic Violence Charges

Domestic violence charges, from dating, roommate, or spousal disputes, carry no-contact orders, a parallel Title IX case, and a record that many employers won't hire past and that can block nursing licensure.

Approximately 20% of Davenport students are business majors, and many accounting students plan to become CPAs. The Michigan Board of Accountancy conducts thorough character and fitness reviews on all CPA applicants.

CPA Certification Process

1. Complete 150 credit hours of education (bachelor's + 30 additional credits)
2. Pass four sections of the CPA exam
3. Gain required work experience (typically 1-2 years)
4. Apply for your CPA license through the board
5. Pass character and fitness review (includes criminal background check)

Criminal convictions that affect CPA certification:

• Crimes of dishonesty: Theft, fraud, embezzlement, fake IDs; automatic denials or years of delays
• Financial crimes: Credit card fraud, check fraud, tax evasion
• Drug convictions: Substance abuse issues can delay or deny certification
• DUI: Multiple DUI convictions indicate substance problems
• Felony convictions: Most felonies result in certification denial

Timeline impact: Even if the Board eventually approves you, the character review can take years. This means:

• You graduate but cannot work as a CPA
• You take entry-level accounting jobs instead of CPA-track positions
• Your career is permanently behind your peers
• Employers may rescind job offers if CPA certification is delayed

Big 4 and Corporate Accounting Firms

Major accounting firms (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG) and corporate accounting departments conduct extensive background checks:

• All offer letters are contingent on background check clearance
• Criminal convictions result in offer rescission
• Even internship offers require background checks
• Theft, fraud, dishonesty convictions are automatic disqualifiers

Davenport's nursing program prepares registered nurses. The Michigan Board of Nursing conducts comprehensive criminal background checks on all nursing license applicants.

Michigan Nursing License Requirements

• Complete accredited nursing program
• Pass NCLEX-RN exam
• Apply for Michigan nursing license
• Pass criminal background check (state and federal)

Criminal convictions that prevent nursing licensure:

• Drug convictions: Cannot be trusted with medications and controlled substances
• Theft: Cannot be trusted with patient belongings, medications, supplies
• Assault/violence: Patient safety concerns
• Patient abuse: Automatic permanent denial
• Fraud: Cannot be trusted with patient records, insurance billing

Clinical Rotations and Degree Completion

Before graduating, nursing students must complete clinical rotations at hospitals and healthcare facilities:

• All facilities conduct background checks before accepting students
• Criminal charges can prevent placement
• Without clinical rotations, you cannot graduate
• Arrests during rotations result in immediate removal

Healthcare Employment Background Checks

Hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and healthcare facilities conduct federal background checks (FBI) for all employees:

• Drug convictions disqualify
• Theft disqualifies
• Violence disqualifies
• Many healthcare employers have zero-tolerance policies

Davenport's 48% part-time student population faces unique challenges that traditional college students don't experience:

Current Employment at Risk

Many employers conduct periodic background checks on current employees. If you're convicted of a crime while employed, you may be immediately terminated:

• Financial services jobs (banks, credit unions, investment firms)
• Healthcare positions (hospitals, nursing, medical billing)
• Government positions (require clean records)
• Education positions (teachers, school administrators)
• Management positions (companies require trustworthy leaders)

For working adults, losing your job means:

• Cannot pay tuition; must drop out of Davenport
• Cannot pay rent/mortgage; risk losing housing
• Cannot support family; financial devastation
• Wasted investment; years of part-time study lost

Career Change Plans Derailed

Many Davenport adult learners are pursuing career changes:

• Transitioning from blue-collar to white-collar careers
• Moving from retail/service to professional positions
• Seeking advancement and higher income

A criminal conviction can derail career-change plans:

• Cannot pass background checks for new career field
• Stuck in current job with no advancement opportunities
• Years of part-time education wasted
• Financial investment lost with no return

Family and Financial Pressure

Adult learners often have:

• Spouses and children depending on their income
• Mortgages, car payments, and other financial obligations
• Limited savings to handle legal problems
• No parental financial support available

The stakes are much higher for working adults than for traditional college students.

Internship Termination

Davenport's career-focused programs emphasize practical work experience. Internships are critical for post-graduation employment. Losing an internship can set your career back years.

What happens when you're arrested during an internship:

• Most internship agreements require disclosure of arrests
• Employers conduct background checks; arrests appear immediately
• Morality clauses in agreements allow immediate termination
• Employer relationships damaged; affects future job references
• Cannot complete internship credit required for graduation
• Must find new internship (difficult with criminal record)

Career Services Limitations

Davenport's career services can provide resume help, interview prep, and job search guidance. But they cannot overcome the fundamental barrier: employer background checks.

If you fail background screening:

• Career services cannot help you get hired
• Your degree becomes less valuable
• Employer relationships cultivated by career services are useless to you
• Placement rates don't include students who fail screening

Federal Financial Aid

• A conviction generally does not affect federal aid. The FAFSA no longer asks about drug convictions, and neither alcohol nor drug charges end federal eligibility on their own
• The one real exception is enrollment-based: a suspension from Davenport can cut off aid if you drop below full-time

Davenport University Institutional Aid

• Merit scholarships require "good standing" (not on disciplinary probation)
• If Davenport takes disciplinary action, you may lose scholarships immediately
• Departmental scholarships have conduct requirements
• Once lost, scholarships are rarely reinstated

Davenport enrolls international students. International students on F-1 visas face severe consequences from criminal charges:

Visa Status Risks

• Criminal convictions can result in visa revocation
• Drug convictions can trigger deportation proceedings
• Crimes of moral turpitude (theft, fraud, assault) can make you inadmissible

Maintaining Legal Status

• If Davenport suspends you, you lose F-1 status (no longer enrolled full-time)
• Loss of F-1 status requires immediate departure from the U.S.

International students must consult with both a criminal defense attorney and an immigration attorney.

61st District Court - Grand Rapids

Address: 180 Ottawa Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Jurisdiction: All misdemeanor cases in Grand Rapids (where Davenport's main campuses are located):

• MIP, fake ID, disorderly conduct
• Retail fraud (shoplifting)
• Drug possession charges
• DUI/OWI
• Domestic violence

Felony cases start in 61st District Court, then move to 17th Circuit Court (same building) for trial.

17th Circuit Court - Kent County

Address: 180 Ottawa Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Handles all felony cases (embezzlement, fraud, serious drug charges, felony assault, etc.).

We Understand Career-Focused Education

Davenport students aren't pursuing abstract education; you're investing in career preparation. We understand that criminal charges threaten:

• Your employability and background check clearance
• Your professional licensing (CPA, nursing)
• Your current job (for working adults)
• Your internship placements
• Your entire career trajectory

We Know Professional Licensing Requirements

• Michigan Board of Accountancy (CPA certification)
• Michigan Board of Nursing (RN licensure)
• Corporate background check standards
• Healthcare facility screening requirements

We Protect Your Career Future

Our goal is to protect your ability to:

• Pass employer background checks
• Complete your Davenport degree
• Maintain your current job (working adults)
• Obtain professional licensure
• Keep internships and work experience
• Get hired in your chosen career field

We Don't Judge, We Defend

Whether you're a traditional student or a working adult trying to change careers, you made a mistake. You're scared about losing your job, your internship, or your entire career plan. We get it.

We don't lecture. We defend. Our firm's philosophy: "WE GIVE A [EXPLETIVE]!" We fight to protect your career future.

Affordable Representation for Students and Working Adults

• Free initial consultations
• Payment plans for students and working adults
• Understanding of financial pressures facing part-time students
• Transparent pricing