Why were you cited (part 11 item 29)- how detailed should I go?

J

James Kaun

New Member
7 years ago, I was cited for petty theft misdemeanor for stealing a laptop. This is the one and only black eye on the application. I was not convicted, and the case was dismissed.

I was wondering, in that table, how detailed should I be when it asks "Why were you arrested, cited, detained, or charged?"

Are they asking for "why" legally, as in PC 484(A) - Petty Theft.

or are they asking "why" as in "to whom it may concern, on 4/14/2006, I was...." - a very detailed walk through of why.

The question is: should I put down "Petty theft" or should I write a long narrative of what occurred?


Thank you.
 
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Be brief.

I put DUI in my box.

Seeing your case was dismissed, I would write something like this "Accused of Petty Theft - case was subsequently dismissed"
 
Do you think this is too much info? this is what i have currently:

"To whom it may concern,

On 4/25/2006, I was cited for a misdemeanor petty theft while I was a student at Harvard. I was 18, and as part of a fraternity prank, I took an unattended laptop that was sitting on a table that belonged to the university.

As a show of reparation, I took a 4 unit class on ethical behavior and morality that made me more aware of the consequences of my actions. In addition I attended counseling at the Harvard Psychological Center. I learned a gravely important lesson, one that has stayed with me and impacted my actions and decisions for the rest of my life. The sentence was deferred on the condition that no further incidents occur within one year. No further incidents occurred and the case was dismissed on 9/19/2007."


You think I should change it to something like, "I was cited with a misdemeanor Petty Theft on 4/25/2006. The case was dismissed on 9/19/2007." ?
 
James Kaun said:
Do you think this is too much info? this is what i have currently:

"To whom it may concern,

On 4/25/2006, I was cited for a misdemeanor petty theft while I was a student at Harvard. I was 18, and as part of a fraternity prank, I took an unattended laptop that was sitting on a table that belonged to the university.

As a show of reparation, I took a 4 unit class on ethical behavior and morality that made me more aware of the consequences of my actions. In addition I attended counseling at the Harvard Psychological Center. I learned a gravely important lesson, one that has stayed with me and impacted my actions and decisions for the rest of my life. The sentence was deferred on the condition that no further incidents occur within one year. No further incidents occurred and the case was dismissed on 9/19/2007."
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Above is way too much information. All you need is one sentence to say what you were charged with and what the outcome of the case was, and include the court paperwork along with the application.

You think I should change it to something like, "I was cited with a misdemeanor Petty Theft on 4/25/2006. The case was dismissed on 9/19/2007." ?
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Yes, that is much better.

Note that USCIS may treat dismissed cases as convictions if the court made you attend classes, do community service or otherwise impose some task, fine or restriction on your freedom. So this may count as a conviction in their eyes, however it is out of the 5 year moral character window and was a petty theft misdemeanor so it should not hurt your naturalization prospects, apart from the possible delay for supervisor review (you definitely won't get approved on the spot).
 
Thanks for the advice. I ended up taking out my "personal statement" altogether and just using the table on the N400. I also confirmed with an attorney and this is exactly what I put down.

Why were you cited? PETTY THEFT
When? 4/25/2006
Where? BOSTON MA UNITED STATES
Disposition? CHARGES DISMISSED
 
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