I'm a felon, I've served my time...can I have my rights back please?

reply to post by OmegaLogos

It hasn't corrupted our society ... oh wait hang on a minute ... never mind ... we are all so scroomed!

Scroomed is the right word to describe the predicament we are all in, which is normally called society.

reply to post by onequestion


I admit to only reading the fist page.
OP if you didn't catch a number you should be able to have it expunged. What state do reside and was the felony committed in that state ?

Originally posted by JohnPhoenix
Hell NO you can't have your rights back. You lost them fair and square by willfully committing a violent felony.

I was attacked during Katrina by a guy who had been let out of jail due to overcrowding. He was a 3rd time convicted violent felon. I suppose they thought he was going to straighten up too but nope.. you can never tell what a person id going to do next, especially a person with a criminal history that's so bad, you didn't commit a non violent just had some weed or stole a candy bar crime, you committed a felony. I suppose you have no clue how serious that is or you would not be posting this silly thread. I had to get emergency surgery for an eye whos retina had snapped because of this guy they could trust so much they kept letting out of prison. I was almost blinded for life because I'm legally blind in my other eye since birth.

A convicted felon of a violent crime.. you Suck! If your stupid enough not to stop and think before you commit a violent felon crime, you don't deserve any rights. Personally I wouldn't give you any air to breath either. They should make you wear a I'm a Violent Felon offender badge every where you go.

What a load of self righteous crap !

If OP didn't see prison time ? That means the judge put him on felony joint suspension probation. He serves a county sentence and has to stay completely out of trouble for three years. It's a plea bargain. All this makes OP a lite felon. In California he could have it expunged for 120 bucks.

Damn Phoenix you need to lighten up.

What rights did you loose? Your still protected by almost every single amendment to the US constitution, if you don't believe you are, well your wrong, hire an attorney. In regards to your right to vote, unless you live in FL or Kansass (i think) your right to vote is only temporarily barred. Voting eligibility for felons is based on a state by state basis. For instance, in NJ, once a felon is off probation and out of prison, he can regain his right to vote, fairly easily. I'm sorry that certain employers will discriminate against you. While some people were feeding orphans in Africa, you were sitting in jail because you committed a violent crime, employers should look at you differently. That isn't a loss of a right per se, as no one has right to be employed, it is also no different than a company drug testing.

Solutions for you instead of whining.

Contact an attorney about petitioning to have your voting rights reinstated ($500)

Work for people who are sympathetic to your situations, which is probably 50% or more of people. You can always start your own business.

If you get in trouble again, guess what your going to jail. You will not be treated like a first time offender because you aren't one.

You committed a violent crime because of drinking and acting irresponsibility! As a gun owner, you don't deserve to own a gun, you blew it. Find another hobby.

You still are entitled to all your first amendment protections, due process protections, most if not all IV amendment privileged's and immunities, fifth amendment rights, sixth amendment rights, equal protection under the 14th amendment (for reference laws that discriminate against gay people are held to the same standard of constitutional scrutiny as laws which discriminate against felons). You haven't lost a vast majority of your rights. Your life now, I'm assuming, is a lot different than when you were in jail. It's nice to drop a deuce in private.

No reason you can not learn from your mistake and live out your life to the fullest, there are little to no legal barriers preventing you from doing so.

Originally posted by superman2012
reply to post by onequestion

 

You want the right to have a gun? Is that really what America needs now? A self confessed violent felon with a gun? You lost control once, you will never be able to convince anyone that there is no situation where you won't lose it again.

I dont know the ops full story or even if its true. But he supposedly lost control and got into a fight that was breaking out, in that case.

Well how good is your self control dude? Lets say your walking home one day from a night of hanging out, and these two guys start something they bump into you and start swinging. Now you have two options. 1: Stay there and take it as they smash your head on the pavement. 2: Start swinging back. Now how good is your control in that situation? Now what if they had a legal gun and somehow decided that by them bumping into you that you were attacking them, and were well into there rights to open fire? I suppose you can always deflect the bullets as your superman.

I think that if we "presume" that people serve their time in prison -- they definitely should have all the rights of a citizen, including the right to vote after they "serve their time." However, for violent offenses, those people should be prohibited from purchasing guns -- and likely there should be other restrictions that are based on people with a high chance of recidivism.

Originally posted by VitriolAndAngst
I think that if we "presume" that people serve their time in prison -- they definitely should have all the rights of a citizen, including the right to vote after they "serve their time." However, for violent offenses, those people should be prohibited from purchasing guns -- and likely there should be other restrictions that are based on people with a high chance of recidivism.

Now that's completely wrong. People who go to prison come out way worse than when they went in. In my above post I pointed out the difference in OPs favor.

Originally posted by 19KTankCommander
violent Crimianl in your own words, Not knowing what you did really don't matter, have to remember one thing if it was not for those liberals and if this was 200 years ago and you got caught you would not be here to talk about it.

Ha! Hardly.. if he committed assault 200 years ago the authorities would laugh at it, break up the fight probably, a slap on the wrist and that would probably be it.

People are too goddamn sensitive, having to get the authorities involved, a little fight is nothing, men used to do it all the time, and have a good time doing it a lot of the times, nowadays, you're looking at prison time, and you can thank the liberals and all their brainwashed lemmings for that, can't even talk smack without someone feeling threatened and involving the authorities.. men have become little girls because of this kind of mentality.

A kid pretending his hand is a pistol and pointing it at another kid on the playground.
"Oh my, he's a menace to society, lock him up!"

The only people who would have a problem 200 years ago would be weak ass bleeding heart liberals crying about everything they can think of.
If they had their way completely everything even remotely dangerous or fun would be outlawed, and we're getting there, just look around.. people are f*ing nuts with their political correctness and their indoctrinated behaviour.

Let boys be boys, let men be men..

You're real calling now is stop thinking about yourself and hit the streets and schools telling young people what a stupid mistake can do to you.

If you were selfless in this regard, Id probably employ you for two reasons....

1. It's not all about you
2. You show initiate.

Initiative is what stumps 90% of people in advancement. But you have to start at the bottom and aim for the top..,..
...and it takes time...remind young people of that and you may just have found your calling in life?

Originally posted by Hefficide
reply to post by Tardacus

 

Companies that hire felons can also get TJTC ( Targeted jobs tax credits ). I once managed for a company that preferred hiring felons, welfare and SS recipients, and resident aliens - because of the free Federal $$$ that they got for doing so.

Oh, and those groups also never complain about being scheduled part time, low pay, or being on call 24/7 even though they're part time. Another "benefit" to the Corporate system.

Slave labor under a different name, in fact not even as slaves were housed and feed. Those dudes were likely barely scraping buy to afford some rat hole and food on the table, and then they were taxed on all that. And people wonder why they all jump for the "credit" government hands out, or to get under any government doling out project. Got to love our system, as always it creates the solution's to the problems it created. And yet you can bet somebody is making big bucks of all that.

Originally posted by bottleslingguy
reply to post by schizm99

 

what about the ones with degrees who have been law abiding, productive citizens for the last 22 years?

Not tossing you out of the mix, but there is a different circumstance to your story!

Originally posted by boncho
reply to post by Wandering Scribe

But the fact still remains: someone else, who is not the OP, now has to bear the effects of the OP's actions. Just because the OP says he isn't going to hurt anyone, doesn't mean he won't, history proves that he can, has, and just might.

Which is why the state needs a way to prove rehabilitation. So both the victim, and the public at large, know that the OP will most likely not commit anymore crimes.

 

The fact remains that not ever crime is prosecuted. Therefore, the justice system in its directive, is a failure. A victim can be a predator. Depending on how the system is manipulated.

Ditto that but also a predator can be a victim as well, depending on how the system is manipulated.

reply to post by onequestion


I too am a convicted felon.My case is quite different than yours.I never hurt any one.My conviction was for auto theft.Thats what they called it anyway.I went for a joyride in a friends car,he gave me the keys,but I made the mistake of crossing two state lines.This was over twenty years ago but this conviction still haunts me.I was a stupid,immature kid then.Now I am pushing 50.I would like to say it gets easier in time,but I am not going to lie.I too would like to relieve my self of the stain that my actions placed upon my life.But the fact is that I broke the law.We live in a society governed by laws.There is a penalty to pay for breaking those laws.I have long since accepted this.Is it fair that I should carry this burden for the rest of my life? Maybe not,in my case,but if you can find a way to erase the past please let me know.

I see it from all sides. No one wants a former rapist taking care of grandma in the nursing home.

BUT - from a political standpoint - which is actually extremely important to ALL of us - we've screwed up making so many nonviolent crimes felonies in the first place.

Look at the sheer number of blacks that are in prison. Look at the folks arrested under the drug war.

When we first wrote a lot of our laws, it was such that a man could always get out of prison, go across the country, and start a new life where no one knew him. Now, about every mistake you've ever made could stop you in your tracks.

If we imprison 1/5 of our population, do we really want 1/5 of our population politically powerfuless and potentially jobless?

Something is horribly wrong with our economy. A lot of people should be making better money than they do, so that there are more opportunities for SERVICE workers. IE If there was a thriving middle class, we could maybe have more beauticians, gardners, pool boys, housekeepers, ect.

As it is, we have a lot of poor people working for peanuts trying to do everything for themselves.

My oven tore up. This time 3 years ago I'd have bought another one, or at least called an electrician or handman to fix it, because I really don't have time.

Today, with our income NOW so low, waiting for something to break in housing around here, I freaking figured out how to fix it myself and ordered a part. I've already glued the door handle back on, because it kept falling off. The electronic control box doesn't work so I rewired it to bypass that. This is the 3rd element it's had.

Meanwhile, a bunch of people that would probably love to vote AGAINST the drug war or for MJ legalization are felons and can't vote.

We - collectively - are painted into a corner by our own fear.

Heck, grandma shouldn't be in the nursing home anyway. All they do is take whatever money and property a person has left at the end of their lives so the corporations get it instead of the young relatives.

We're just screwed.

Went back thru the thread enough to learn OP is in Cali. OP this is the key word for you

EXPUNGED.

I feel the fact that you even care about your rights speaks volumes. Real criminals couldn't care less.

You can fix this if you try. You can even write the Judge in your case a letter. And if done properly as in clean and neat. With all the I's dotted and T's crossed. That always impresses a judge. I think you'd be surprised by what he might just do to help you.

Originally posted by onequestion
reply to post by loam

 

Theres not, he had a broken cheek bone but it literally resulted in a black eye and no further medical treatment. As i said before i was registered with california state athletic comissioned as a professional fighter which came out during the case.

Also as i said before i am providing details not to justify anything but only as a catalyst for debate.

Im not trying to say i was innocent.

And the funny thing is if you were not registered as a professional fighter all of this would of gone down as one fight among the thousands of fight crime cases that they probably had that year over any number of stupid #. And it would of been blown over, it would of been a non issue, which would of let you get on with your life. Were arguing about the labels which misconstrue with other labels which we create to supposedly make our life's easier. A freaking sharpened pencil or a pen can be a deadly weapon with the right intent, yet its not labeled as a weapon.
Teens stab man to death with pen
Pencil murderer
stabed to death with a pen over 90 times

reply to post by 19KTankCommander


First off it is hanged. Criminals are hanged, male porn stars are hung.

Second, your comment is waaaay off. My great great grandfather was part of Butch Cassidy's gang. He got caught, did his time. When he got out of prison they gave him his gun back on the way out.

reply to post by onequestion


this part of the op's thread hit the nail on the head so to speak

"This is pretty much my biggest gripe. How is it that the constitution was written to limit the authority of the government but it doesn't limit the authority of the government for those who commit crimes? The same government who defines the crime.... How is this possible?"

buddy im all for your claim and what you are attempting to bring to light i agree maybe we should limit the fed here to after a fully convicted felon gets released he should have maybe 2 or 3 years depending on his parole or more accuratly AFTER hs parole is over to recieve a full pardon and gain his constitutional right back ths is a very interesting loop hole here and is the first time it has been brough to my attention good job sir i will pray for you SnF

Originally posted by onequestion
Yes I admit it. I'm a Violent felon. I was convicted of an assault charge in 2009 which happened in 2008. I spent six months in jail and three years on probation without any problems. I was younger dumb and a little out of control. I made a mistake and paid for it dearly. I lost everything on top of everything I just described. My life is not an easy road now and I Have no constitutional rights now. I want to open a discussion about the rights of felons for a few reasons.

The government is no longer limited in its authority over my life. A simple background check or name ran puts my life at risk every time. This is disturbing on many levels. I could essentially be put in jail for anything and because of my record my testimony will not be upheld in court. I know I know... This is my fault. But I'm an American citizen!

I can't own a gun. Well, apparently the constitution only protects those in favor of the courts. If you can't see how this is flawed then I don't know what to tell you. Think in today's judicial prejudice how easy it is to fall out of favor with the courts.

This is pretty much my biggest gripe. How is it that the constitution was written to limit the authority of the government but it doesn't limit the authority of the government for those who commit crimes? The same government who defines the crime.... How is this possible?

If we change any law to create a crime that shouldn't be a crime can we effectively eliminate all gun owners by removing their rights for commiting a crime deemed worthy of the elimination of constitutional rights? Was this document created to apply to everyone within the republic or only those deemed worthy?


Before you respond please keep in mind that I am a pretty good person and I really just want my rights and my life back.

edit on 17-2-2013 by onequestion because: (no reason given)

edit on 17-2-2013 by onequestion because: (no reason given)

edit on 17-2-2013 by onequestion because: (no reason given)

The truth is...

1. You do not want your "rights" back because if they were "rights" no one could have taken them from you in the first place. What you want back is your social priveleges.
2. You have been deemed by "society" to have a tendency (as proven by your past actions) to behave in a manner which society finds harmful to its mass organism; therefore, "society" is never going to look at you as someone who can always be trusted to do what society deems is in its best interest. It is true that you were punished for your actions (and not your thoughts) and that time is up, but don't kid yourself that society does not have ways to keep you on a leash because of the thoughts it knows you are at least capable of having; thoughts which can ultimately drive your actions, actions which you have proven you may carry out.
3. It is not about you! You have probably learned not to place your individual interests above the interests of society, especially while you were locked up like an animal by "civilized" society, so you should fully understand why society keeps you on a tight leash - it is in their best interest.
4. If you believe in your society AND you think you should have YOUR life back, then you probably do not understand what society is, what various parts constitute it, how it works, and what it is actually trying to do. Society only acts like YOU matter because if everyone who is part of it thinks that, then it can continue to flourish. You must either give in and accept the society and everything it dishes out to you (just or injust) or suffer the consequences for refusing to accept it. In other words, suffer while deluding yourself into thinking everything is great and is as it should be, or suffer knowing that everyone who thinks it is great and it is as it should be are delusional and that you are essentially trying to coexist with a raving inhuman lunatic called "the civilized world".

Good luck, OP! I am truly sorry to hear about the hand you have been dealt. You're life within society, as you have been told your entire life you can have, is NEVER going to happen now (don't worry, it probably wouldn't have happened anyway). Society has judged you and it has records to prove its reasoning. But fear not! You can still work 40-60 hours or more a week, get treated like a servant, and pay for all the food, water, warmth, clothing and other necessities of life that a lowly dung beetle can get for free. But its all worth it because you are "safe" and you have video games and running water, right?

Originally posted by mardukiscoming
reply to post by onequestion

 

I too am a convicted felon.My case is quite different than yours.I never hurt any one.My conviction was for auto theft.Thats what they called it anyway.I went for a joyride in a friends car,he gave me the keys,but I made the mistake of crossing two state lines.This was over twenty years ago but this conviction still haunts me.I was a stupid,immature kid then.Now I am pushing 50.I would like to say it gets easier in time,but I am not going to lie.I too would like to relieve my self of the stain that my actions placed upon my life.But the fact is that I broke the law.We live in a society governed by laws.There is a penalty to pay for breaking those laws.I have long since accepted this.Is it fair that I should carry this burden for the rest of my life? Maybe not,in my case,but if you can find a way to erase the past please let me know.

And once again I must ask about your education or school situation.. Someday I may tell my story but as for now I just ask questions!!

I know successful practicing attorney's with felony records, they had to apply for membership to the bar a few times and go in front of the state supreme court and explain their past actions, but they were admitted to the practice of law and are doing fine. It's not unheard of to see a Judge elected or appointed whom had a felony on his record. Numerous successful people in corporate america have felony records. Ton's of very successful small business owners have felony records. You can likely have your record expunged after a statutory period of around 5 years, so whats the big deal? Your problem is very common and really not a big deal, honestly. Life will go on, you will face some hurdle's but you should come out a better person.