Re: stet dockets?
12 July 2002
If you are asking about, say, filling out a standard
employment form which inquires about any convictions
beyond traffic violations, etc....the answer is "no"
a stet disposition does NOT amount to a conviction. There
are five dispositions of a criminal matter that would not
be a conviction: 1) charges withdrawn, 2) not guilty
finding or verdict, 3) PBJ (probation before judgment also
not technically considered a conviction in most cases),
4) "stet" of the charges which means they are put on an
inactive status for usually a period of one year, without
a finding, pending good behavior of the defendant and
then if the defendant is not arrested, etc. in that time,
the charges are dropped, 5) a "nolle pros" which is just
like dismissal in terms of 1) but usually does not happen
until there are court proceedings.
A "stet" would not be a conviction, as I understand
the situation. If you had a criminal charge which
resulted in a stet in criminal proceedings, you do not
have to provide any information about that situation
on a form asking about your "convictions."
