When Criminal Allegations Put Your Professional License or Career on the Line
- Clayton T. Robertson
- Apr 4
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 6
By Clayton T. Robertson (Criminal Defense/Civil Rights Attorney)
We get a lot of cases in which a doctor, nurse, teacher, or some other professional runs into trouble, resulting in law enforcement or another agency getting involved. On the criminal defense side, which is the component I handle, it means allegations of criminal conduct, or criminal charges, have been made or filed against them.
This conduct does not need to involve allegations at the licensee's or person's office, facility, classroom, or other professional space. In fact, it often involves some other dispute in the accused's personal life, such as allegations of domestic violence, sexual assault, fraud, or any alleged bad conduct that now jeopardizes their livelihood and reputation regardless of where it occurred.
Worse, all too often, these allegations are fabricated by others with an ulterior motive or vendetta against the accused, such as an ex-spouse, an embittered partner, an estranged family member, or some other person with an axe to grind. Many of these cases also end up in front of a licensing board or agency, and some are publicized online. In my practice, it is utterly unbelievable at how easy it is for another person to falsely go for the jugular to gain a personal or financial advantage over you.
I also typically work in tandem with professional licensing attorneys (on the employment and/or credentialing and licensing sides) and/or family law attorneys (when a divorce or custody dispute is the cause of the allegations) to ensure that you are protected on all fronts. More lawyers, in my opinion, should take this 360-degree view of these matters.
Do not leave these allegations -- even if blatantly concocted -- to chance, and do not trust or believe that the person accusing you will eventually do the right thing. And often it doesn't matter. When these allegations make their way to law enforcement and/or to your employer or licensing agency, it sets into motion a sequence of events over which the reporting party often has very little control. By hiring an effective lawyer, you can vindicate yourself to the maximum extent possible.
