What Rights Could You Lose as a Convicted Felon?
If you are convicted of a felony, you may face serious consequences. Being a convicted felon is something that has a long and far-reaching impact on a person’s life. It can cause them to lose their fundamental civil rights, such as the ability to use, possess, or own a firearm, the right to sit on a jury, and the right to vote.
In some areas, convicted felons are banned from some employment opportunities, such as hospitals, the school system, and work in law enforcement. Some employers will reject applicants immediately if they have been convicted of a felony. While this is true, there are some resources available to help felons find gainful employment1.
However, it is essential to learn more about what rights you may lose as a convicted felon. Understanding this information will help ensure you know what may happen if you find yourself in this legal situation.
Civil Rights
If you are convicted of a felony, you will lose your rights to take part in jury duty, vote, be a candidate for office, or hold a public office. However, these rights are automatically restored after the persons’ authorized sentence is completed, including payment of court debt. This is true for all civil rights besides jury duty, which is lost for a minimum of 10 years after a conviction occurs2.
After the conditional release or parole is satisfied, state offenders will receive a “certificate of discharge.” This provides restoration of civil rights automatically for those individuals who receive it.
Firearms Rights
If you are convicted of a “person felony” or a drug felony, or any juvenile adjudication of one of these crimes, it results in you losing your firearm rights for a minimum of 10 years. If during the incident, a firearm was carried, the loss of firearm rights is permanent. At this point, you can only regain these rights if you receive a pardon or expungement for your case.
The dispossession period is around five years for any nonperson offense and 10 years when a firearm is used. It is five years for any other person felony. The dispossession period may be shortened by expungement or a pardon3.
What Options Do You Have if Arrested for a Potential Felony?
If you are arrested and charged with a crime where you may be convicted of a felony, hiring an attorney is your best chance of avoiding this outcome. While there are no guarantees in these cases, having the help of an attorney is beneficial.
An attorney will review your case and the situation you are facing. This is going to help ensure they can build the best defense possible for your situation. Keep in mind that a felony conviction can impact every part of your life. Be sure you have a solid defense by hiring a skilled and experienced Kansas defense attorney. Being informed and knowing the potential outcome will help you see why this is so important.
Sources
- https://www.kc-crime.org/second-chance
- https://ccresourcecenter.org/state-restoration-profiles/kansas-restoration-of-rights-pardon-expungement-sealing/#easy-footnote-bottom-2-8645
- https://www.atf.gov/file/117231/download#:~:text=Section%2021%2D6304.,firearm%20by%20a%20convicted%20felon.&text=Defacing%20identification%20marks%20of%20a%20firearm.
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