Laid off after 16 years (1200 person RIF) and I have a record from 13 years ago, including a felony charge. Is it possible for me to get any work at all? What kind of job is possible prior to expungement?

My former jobs were manufacturing process engineer, and for the past 16 years I worked for a large software company as Senior Technical Writer, and then Software Engineer, for 16 years. Now it seems I cannot get a job, and there is a reason for this. In 2011, I was charged with a first degree misdemeanor and a third degree felony. I ended up getting a diversion program that I completed successfully, and the charges were dropped with a final plea of not guilty. My attorney at the time told me I could get my record sealed or maybe even expunged, and he was supposed to take care of it, or at lease so I thought. I recently found out that this was never done, and the arrests still show up in a BG check. They are terrible charges: domestic battery (first degreee misdemeanor) and battery of a law enforcement officer (third degree felony). I have no record before or since the incident in 2011, but those charges are a real bad look (as they should be). I am in Florida. I started the process to have my record sealed or expunged, and the State Attorney’s office approved expungement of both charges. This is very good news, but I’ve now been unemployed since the layoff in July and I am burning through my savings. The process could take another 12 weeks just to get approval from the FDLE (the next step in the process) and then I can have a hearing to get my record expunged. Is there any job I could get with those charges on my record? Warehouse or manufacturing work? Anything at all?

Some background: I was drinking very heavily. I was a mess: having blackouts, etc. This is no excuse, I was the one who made the decision to “have a few beers with my coworkers” after 19 years of sobriety, and I own that. Over time, my drinking increased to the point of blacking out. I was buying the 1.75 liter bottles of the cheapest vodka and drinking straight from the bottle. I had never been that heavy a drinker before and had never experienced blackouts from drinking, but I was now experiencing them. Unfortunately, one night I had run out of vodka, an my GF of 6 years took my keys away from me. I have no memory of this, and that doesn’t in any way excuse my behavior, but she told me what happened after the fact. She was trying to save my life and the life of others because clearly, I was in no shape to drive. In a struggle with her I hit her. I had never hit or got violent with a woman in my life before or since then, including during my prior marriage of 23 years to my ex-wife. It is something that I regret to this day. When the police arrived, I got in a scuffle with an officer and hit him. I was charged with Domesic Battery (on her) a misdemeanor (THAT should be the felony!), and Battery of a Law Enforcement Officer, a 3rd degree felony. I have no memory of the events, I woke up in jail to find out what I was charged with. It was particularly awful, because I had no idea how bad I battered my GF. My concern was for her, and THAT is what I was, and still am, the most remorseful for, to this day. Eventually I found out that I had not battered my GF as bad as it could have been, but still, it was plenty bad enough. I was ROR’s and she was waiting for me when I got out of jail the next day. It is amazing that we are still together to this day, and the incident has never happened again because I immediately stopped drinking and got back into recovery. By some miracle I found out in the discovery that officers at the scene reported that I was remorseful then, and I apoligized to the officers. That is why I got pre-trial diversion and no conviction because my attorney warned me that I would probably have to do a littl time, but when we got the discovery, he said that saved me. The whole thing saved my life and probably the life of others, and I am grateful for that and I am sober to this day, and by some miracle I am still with the woman I am forever madly in love with.