Dramatic_Rope9000's journey

I recently received a job offer for an engineering position at a large global corporation in California. However, things took a turn when I was arrested and charged with felony animal cruelty after a dispute with a neighbor about their cat. The injury was minor, and thankfully, the cat is fine, but the case is still pending, and I've pleaded not guilty with legal representation. Now, I'm grappling with several questions regarding how to handle this situation with my potential employer. Should I proactively disclose this pending charge, even though it’s unrelated to the job? I’m also curious about whether a standard employment background check would reveal an arrest or pending charge that hasn’t led to a conviction. I know California has some laws like the Fair Chance Act that might influence this, but I’m unsure how they apply in practice. If the charge does show up in a background check, should I disclose it before they run it, or should I wait to see if it surfaces? I’m also wondering if anyone else has faced a similar non-work-related legal issue during the onboarding process and how it turned out. Any insights, especially from an HR perspective regarding California's specific rules on background checks and how pending charges are typically viewed, would be greatly appreciated.