If you or a loved one has been charged with a felony in Colorado, how it’s going to impact life is definitely a question at the top of your list. While it does have the potential to “ruin” life going forward, so to speak, you can mitigate the effects by working with a criminal lawyer in Denver, CO as soon as you can. Your attorney will help create a defense for you, advise you of your options, protect your rights and guide you throughout the process.
Lifetime restrictions after a felony conviction
Beyond jail time and fines, being convicted of a felony can bring several consequences that may seriously impact your life. In Colorado, you will not be able to buy or carry a firearm or weapon, apply for a license to work as a peace officer or teach, hold any office of honor or trust, or practice as an attorney. You will not be able to receive federal food assistance (SNAP) until you complete a required alcohol and drug treatment program.
There are other restrictions you may have to deal with, depending on what you were convicted of. A felony conviction for a sex-related offense will put you on a public registry that anyone can view. It will also place restrictions on where you can live and what types of jobs you can hold.
When you are applying for jobs in the future, you may have to answer questions about your criminal background, and the prospective employers may run a background check. Of course, there is no law against hiring a person with a felony conviction, and there are companies in Colorado that are willing to do so. It is important to note, however, that your conviction can prevent you from certain types of jobs. If, for example, you were convicted of a felony involving theft, it’s unlikely an employer would hire you in a job that makes you responsible for the money.
You can’t vote in Colorado while you are serving a sentence for a felony in Colorado. However, you are allowed to vote again once you are on parole. When you go onto parole, you will receive a packet of voter information in the mail from the parole board.
Felony charges can be removed in some cases. If you were arrested and charged for a felony but never convicted, it might be possible to have those charges taken off of your record. This results in the arrest records being “sealed,” so it typically no longer shows up on a background check. This is only done by court order and is a complicated process. You should speak to your lawyer in Denver, CO about whether this is an option in your case.
In general, whether a felony will ruin your life depends on many factors, including the charges you are facing, what you value in life and how your case is handled. To minimize the impact of a felony charge on your life as much as possible, it makes sense to work with a criminal lawyer in Denver, CO.
Thank you to the experts at Richard J. Banta, PC, for their insight into criminal defense and the law.