Yeah it's tough living in the information age. I don't have a felony conviction and I can't find a job. 7 years ago I got jumped by 2 people in Minneapolis, MN. I defended myself after being punched 40 times. I had somebody on my back punching me on the back of the head and somebody in front of me punching me in the face. I punched the dude in front of me 1 time and fractured his face. I got charged with 3rd degree assault and a year later the horse**** attorney who I hire pressured me in to pleading guilty with a stay of imposition which he said would reduce the conviction to a misdemeanor after I successfully completed probation. (Which I did)

A year ago I quit my fairly high paying management position of 12 years after getting in an arguement with the IDIOT self appointed General Manager. I was confident with my skills, experience and with a solid work history I was confident that I would have a better higher paying job within a month.

Hennepin County did very little to change the final disposition of my conviction and everytime I've been offered a conditional job offer since, my record comes back mistakenly as me being convicted of a felony. I dispute this and the background companies acknowledge the mistake 2 weeks to a month later, after they had finished their investigation. By then the "position is filled" or they are "pursuing other candidates". I have applied to more than 1000 jobs in the past year, been to 100 job interviews, and received nearly 50 conditional job offers...conditional job offers contingent on a criminal background check. I've had employers tell me on many occasions that I will be hired provided that my background check is returned without a felony conviction, I'm still unemployed and I lost my home and had to move back to my parents house and I'm now on assistance.

I've been writing to The MN State Legislature suggesting that Hennepin County needs to realize how incredibly stupid the people working in hr departments and background screening companies are and more prominently display the final disposition of a persons criminal case. Laws need to be created to regulate the information which background screening companies are using. In my case it has been inaccurate or incomplete everytime. These companies being allowed to operate with impunity has ruined my life. The legal system, employers, government and state officials need to realize that rendering people unemployable is the number one factor for increased crime rates and the condition of our economy. If you eliminate 10% of the population from the workforce you are eliminating a lot of talent.

Being unemployable is a hollow, horrible and helpless feeling which is hard to describe to somebody who hasn't experienced it.