Will I lose my professional license if I’m convicted of domestic violence in Oklahoma?

Tulsa Criminal Defense Lawyer Lee Berlin Provides Guidance for Professionals Facing Domestic Violence Charges

You’ve worked hard to be successful in your career. Domestic violence charges—even if they’re the result of a simple misunderstanding—are a storm threatening to take away your ability to earn a living and put the life you’ve built at risk.

To move forward, you need help from a Tulsa domestic violence lawyer who uses his experience as a former prosecutor to help professionals just like you get the best possible outcome for their case. You need Berlin Defense.

How Domestic Violence Charges Are Classified

In Oklahoma, domestic violence can be either a misdemeanor or a felony. It becomes a felony when one or more of the following apply:

Repeat offense. If a person has a prior history of domestic abuse, a subsequent offense can elevate the charge to a felony.

Domestic violence causing great bodily injury. If domestic abuse results in broken bones, significant scars, or other forms of great bodily injury, it can be charged as a felony.

Domestic violence in the presence of a child. Domestic abuse committed in the presence of a child is a misdemeanor for the first offense but becomes a felony for second or subsequent offenses.

Domestic violence involving a pregnant woman. If the abuse is committed against a pregnant woman with knowledge of the pregnancy, it can be charged as a felony—especially if the abuse leads to a miscarriage or injury to the unborn child.

Domestic abuse by strangulation. This specific type of domestic abuse is considered a felony, with increased penalties for repeat offenses.

A misdemeanor is unlikely to cause problems with your professional license, but a felony may cause issues that affect your career.

Determining Licensing Restrictions Related to a Domestic Violence Charge

The Oklahoma Policy Institute has a downloadable PDF list of professions where your license may be affected due to a felony conviction.
Examples of professionals where a felony conviction will result in a permanent license ban include:

Architect
Armed security guard
Certified Public Accountant
Funeral director
Podiatrist
Private investigator
School teacher

Examples of professions where a felony conviction can potentially be used to disqualify you from obtaining or renewing a license include:

Attorney
Chiropractor
Licensed professional counselor
Engineer (chemical, civil, or electrical)
Insurance agent
Registered nurse
Occupational therapist
Optometrist
Physical therapist
Psychologist
Real estate appraiser
Veterinarian

When a licensing board has the discretion to determine if a charge should affect your professional license, they will consider the severity of the offense, its relevance to your professional duties, and the efforts you’ve made at rehabilitation.

A conviction for domestic violence could be seen as violating a licensing board’s prohibition against “immoral conduct” because it is an act that negatively affects the health and safety of others. It could also be problematic if you were drinking or using substances at the time of the offense. For example, the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision takes allegations of substance use seriously due to the need for physicians to have access to potentially addictive prescription medication.

You Might Lose Your Job Even if You Keep Your License

Even if you’re lucky enough to keep your professional license, it’s still possible an Oklahoma domestic violence charge could leave you seeking another position. Oklahoma is an employment-at-will state, which means your employer can terminate the relationship at any time or for any reason as long as no discrimination laws have been violated. This means that you could potentially lose your job if your employer decides the charges against you damage the company’s reputation or reflect poorly on your character.

If you lost your job, you’d likely be eligible for unemployment benefits. However, the maximum weekly unemployment benefit in Oklahoma is just $539 and you can only receive benefits for 16 weeks. This means you’re looking at draining your emergency savings, raiding your retirement accounts, or making some painful budgetary cutbacks. Do you want to downsize your home, pull your kids out of their favorite extracurricular activities, and cancel the family vacation everyone has been looking forward to for months? If you want to continue leading the lifestyle you’ve grown accustomed to, you can’t afford to take chances with your legal representation.

Defending Without Judgment

At Berlin Defense, we know that good people can find themselves in difficult situations. That’s why we defend our clients without judgment. We understand what’s at stake for a licensed professional facing domestic violence charges and will work to ensure the best possible outcome for your case. Check out our case results and client testimonials to learn more about why Berlin Defense is the right choice to help you move forward.