TexasCHLforum.com

cb1000rider wrote:

JALLEN wrote:Sorry, but a felon loses, or ought to lose, the civil rights that law abiding citizens enjoy. The right to vote, possess firearms and more.

Felonies used to carry the death penalty long ago. That may be a bit stiff, considering how many convictions are erroneous.

Interesting opinion. You think that there are some number of erroneous convictions. I think that if you're young and poor, it's often in your best interest to plea to a crime. In both cases, assuming the result is a felony conviction, you lose the right to vote, possess firearms, and usually hold meaningful employment for the rest of your life. It's that last one that's a bit of a bear. And I'm with you - if you're a felon rightly convicted, perhaps you deserve what you got.. And will get for the rest of your life.

I just see too many DA's playing with charges... Some people - probably the vast minority, get a raw deal that sticks with them for life. I guess that's the cost of punishing the ones that did deserve it.


Yea, I don't have a solution.

I favor the view of Churchill:

never give in, never give in, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

I cannot accept the idea of pleading guilty unless I am. Of course, I have never been guilty of a felony, so perhaps I lack experience. Make 'em prove it! A lot of times, the motivation for a plea bargain is their case is shot full of holes. If you didn't do it, don't say you did.

The cases I refer to were cases of mistaken identification usually. A fellow was released a year or so ago who had been in prison for ~20 years, until finally DNA proved it was another guy. He didn't plead guilty IIRC but was convicted by a jury, wrongly it turns out. It happens.

Sorry, but a felon loses, or ought to lose, the civil rights that law abiding citizens enjoy. The right to vote, possess firearms and more.

Felonies used to carry the death penalty long ago. That may be a bit stiff, considering how many convictions are erroneous.

Many years ago, a lawyer of my acquaintance, whose son was on the Little League team with my kids, was elected President of the San Diego Bar Association, a pretty respectable honor. Within a few weeks of his taking office (at the Bar Dinner in December), he was arrested and charged with multiple counts of receiving stolen property. He was a "fence." He immediately resigned, and was eventually disbarred and sent to jail. Some years ago to my surprise, he is back practicing law!

I'm sorry but this drives me nuts. He is a convicted felon, for crying out loud and should not be allowed to resume practice like it never even happened. He has forfeited his "right" to that status. He can earn a living doing something else. No honors, no privileges, sack cloth and ashes for felons!

Don't want to lose those rights and privileges? Don't do any felonies! How hard is it? As astonishing as it may seem, quite a few people go through their entire lives without even a traffic ticket. They pay their taxes, don't cheat others, live quiet constructive lives, never coming to the attention to law enforcement or needing to.

It seems to me that it is a major deterrent to unlawful activity, to realize you will pass through a veil never to be lifted, no matter what.