Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Blog
What are the Consequences of a Felony Conviction in North Carolina?
A felony conviction will result in a variety of punishments that may include a jail sentence, fines, probation, and community service, among other things. Besides the legal consequences involved, a person convicted of a felony will also suffer consequences that can impact your life for years to come. A felony conviction might cause you difficulties in your ability to get employment, in your education, and even in your personal relationships.
Loss of Some Civil Rights
As a convicted felon, you will likely lose some of your civil rights. These are the rights that most Americans take for granted, and many of them are provided in the constitution. Some of your rights may be permanently or temporarily lost.
Right to Own a Firearm
One of the most important rights that you may lose is the right to own a firearm. A convicted felon is banned from firearm ownership. If you owned a firearm prior to your felony conviction, you would need to sell it or transfer it to a person who is legally allowed to own it. Also, you are not allowed to live in a home with a firearm, even if the person who owns it does so legally.
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “What are the long term effects of being convicted of a crime?”
Right to Vote
A convicted felon typically is not allowed to vote while they are serving their sentence. A sentence may include incarceration followed by a period of probation, supervision, or parole. A person convicted of a felony cannot vote during the sentencing phase. Once the entire sentence is complete, a felon may then register to vote again.
Disqualification From Federal Assistance Programs
Generally, a convicted felon will not be allowed to participate in federal assistance programs. Unfortunately, when a felon returns to the community after serving time, these are exactly the types of programs that he or she needs the most. Some of these include food stamps, help with medical insurance, and student loans, among others. A felony conviction remains on your record permanently.
Professional Consequences
As a convicted felon, you may be disqualified from certain types of jobs. This may vary based on the specifics of your conviction. For instance, you may not be allowed to work in a school, in a hospital, or in law enforcement. You could also be banned from obtaining some types of professional licenses. A convicted felon is required to provide that information to a potential employer, although the employer is not supposed to disqualify you from obtaining a job for which you are qualified. A felon may have difficulty finding employment after returning from prison.
Personal Consequences
A felony conviction can also have a devastating impact on your personal life. A felon may spend years behind bars, making it difficult to return to society. You may lose many of your friends. Family members might not welcome you back to the fold. A felon is not allowed to associate with other felons. If you were married prior to incarceration, the length of time you spend in prison can take a toll on your relationship. It can also be difficult to find a new relationship after conviction.
It is possible to successfully defend felony charges or have the charges reduced. Contact our law office at Arnold & Smith, PLLC at (704) 370-2828 for a consultation today.
The criminal defense attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC make it their mission to zealously defend their clients on a wide range of criminal matters at both the state and federal levels. These matters may include any charge from traffic offenses; DWI/DUI; drug charges (from simple possession to possession with intent to distribute and trafficking); gun permit denials; weapons offenses; and property crimes (larceny, breaking and entering, robbery, fraud, embezzlement, white collar offenses); to sexually related offenses (indecent exposure; sexual assault, crimes against nature, removal from sex offender registry); and violent crimes (domestic violence; assault; manslaughter; homicide, murder). Other legal issues that Arnold & Smith, PLLC criminal clients may be facing include restraining orders, restraining order and probation violations, expungements; appeals; and immigration issues related to criminal charges. Our criminal defense attorneys are passionate about ensuring that individuals empower themselves by being informed about their constitutional rights and stand at the ready to fight in the defense of those facing criminal charges.
Source:
https://www.ncleg.gov/Laws/GeneralStatuteSections/Chapter14
Image Credit:
https://www.freeimages.com/photo/penitentiary-3-1234018
See Our Related Video from our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/ArnoldSmithPLLC/videos
See Our Related Blog Posts: