Felony Conviction Carries Lifetime Consequences
A California felony can be many different crimes. Examples are a third time DUI, domestic violence, rape and murder. But, it's only after you're convicted and serve your sentence that the lifetime consequences actually begin.
Can I Get A Job With A California Felony On My Record?
A convicted felon can have a hard time making a living. Getting and keeping job can be more difficult because current and prospective employers do background checks. Federal guidelines recommend that employers not “automatically” disqualify felons. 1
California has also adopted the same federal guidelines, which prohibits California employers from explicitly asking prospective employees about criminal convictions. 2 But, California employers can still ask for information about criminal convictions if there is a “legitimate, business-related” reason to do so. For example, if an applicant has a felony DUI conviction on their record, a California delivery job would be allowed to ask about this criminal conviction.
Can My California Felony Hurt My Business Or Professional License?
Getting and keeping a California business and/or professional license is in danger after being convicted of a felony because many licensing authorities have policies against felony convictions for crimes “substantially related to” the qualifications, functions or duties of the business and/or of the profession.
California licensing authorities can deny, suspend, or revoke of a California professional or business license. But generally, only if the crime is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of the business or profession. However, any criminal conviction may impact these licenses. For instance, the California Medical Board looks at all criminal convictions, regardless of whether they are felonies or convictions. 3
Most professional and business licensing boards may refuse to issue or renew a license to someone who has a felony conviction. Besides the doctor example above, such jobs include but are not limited to: attorneys, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, real estate agents, teachers, social workers and physical therapists.
Does My California Felony Exclude Me From Military Service?
A felony conviction may result in your ineligibility from military service, unless you get a waiver from the Secretary of Defense.
Can I Have A Gun After A California Felony?
A felony hurts your civil rights. You will lose your right for life to possess a firearm upon suffering a felony conviction. There is no way to restore these rights if the firearm was a dangerous weapon. However, gun rights can be restored, and the lifetime ban lifted, through the court where your conviction occurred.
Will I Lose My Right To Vote After A California Felony?
A second way a felony hurts your civil rights is when it comes to your right to vote. If you are serving a state or federal prison term for a felony conviction, you are ineligible to vote. You can vote if you're serving county jail time for a felony, or a misdemeanor. Unlike many other states, California automatically restores the voting rights of people convicted of felonies. But, California Secretary of State Once you have finished serving your term, your right to vote is restored; however, you must register online at RegisterToVote.ca.gov or by filling out a paper voter registration card. 4
Can I Serve On Jury Duty After A California Felony?
A third way a felony hurts your civil rights in California used to be that convicted felons were barred from jury duty. The only way to restore the right was through obtaining a pardon from the governor of California. But, at the end of 2019, a new law passed. The new law, called Senate Bill 310, “The Right to a Jury of Your Peers”, lets people with previous felony convictions to serve on jury duty. There are three other significant requirements: you can't currently be on parole, nor on probation, and you can't be a registered felony sex offender. See the law here: 5
Will My Felony Conviction Affect My Social Security?
A felony conviction can impact your right to collect federal benefits. One of those is your right to collect social security and other Federal benefits.
Does My California Felony Conviction Have Immigration Consequences?
Immigration consequences can be one of the most devastating significant impacts of a felony conviction. A non-citizen of the United States can be deported, excluded from admission to the United States, or denied naturalization, just by suffering a felony conviction. 6 If a felony conviction is set aside, or changed to a misdemeanor, this may help an immigrant avoid or reduce immigration consequences that might otherwise foreclose any chance of gaining legal status in the United States. 7
Who Is Gardner Law?
Gardner Law is a San José law office. I am Renée Yvonne Gardner, the founder, owner and attorney at Gardner Law. I handle post-conviction relief cases.
Do You Offer Free Consultations To Talk About Trying To Fix My Criminal Record?
My time is valuable and so is yours. So, if you need to talk about getting help about your criminal record, there is a charge to consult with me in person or by phone. In person visits are not available during the pandemic.Consultations on post-conviction relief cases are $225 for a 30 minute phone consultation with me, Attorney Renée Yvonne Gardner. These payments are only accepted through PayPal by clicking the yellow Pay Now button:
After making your payment, please call me (408) 214-5555 or fill out my Contact Form.In the message box, please write 30 min.But, the good news is that if you retain my services after the phone consultation, for the case about which we spoke, the $225 gets credited to your account.