Felonies affect your life in many ways other than the penalties you face in court. When you are convicted of a felony, you lose some of your civil rights. Some civil rights may be restricted.
Felons, for example, have no right to vote. They may not hold a public office and can’t possess or own a firearm in some cases. Felonies also restrict an individual from serving on a jury.
While you lose some rights and have others restricted, that doesn’t mean you’ll lose those rights forever. The idea behind taking away some rights is that the individual has to prove his or her good intentions before the rights are reinstated. That seems good on paper, but in practice, it hurts those who have a felony significantly.
Along with the loss or restriction of some civil rights, you may find it difficult to find work after a felony conviction. Many employers will not hire someone with a felony, because a felony is a high risk to take on. The employer may worry that the individual is dishonest or violent, so he or she avoids hiring someone with a felony altogether. The employer may also feel that hiring a felon would damage the company’s reputation.
If you’re facing a felony, keep the above in mind. It’s vital that you fight the charges against you to protect your civil rights, the ability to get a job, find housing and maintain your reputation. With the right defense, it’s possible that you could have your potential felony lowered to a misdemeanor or win your case and have the case dismissed.
Source: Jobs For Felons Hub, “How Can a Felony Affect Your Life?,” accessed Oct. 12, 2017
