When you’re convicted of a felony offense, you face severe consequences. Some of those are jail time, fines, probation, and other criminal penalties. However, there are some consequences that can last for the rest of your life. This includes the loss of gun rights. Let’s discuss whether or not convicted felons can seek to have their gun rights restored in California.
Do All Felons Lose Their Gun Rights?
Yes, all convicted felons lose their gun rights for life. In fact, individuals convicted of certain misdemeanor offenses can lose their firearm rights for ten years.
This includes:
- Stalking
- Battery
- Domestic violence
- Making criminal threats
Restoring Gun Rights
California has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation, so it is no surprise that convicted felons in our state lose the right:
- To own a gun
- To buy a gun
- To possess a gun
However, if you were convicted of a felony wobbler offense, you may have options to have your firearm rights restored.
A wobbler offense in California is a crime that could be charged as either a felony or misdemeanor. This is a substantial difference, and unfortunately, some people end up with a felony wobbler conviction. However, a defense attorney can help you fight to have your felony conviction reduced to a misdemeanor offense. By doing this, your gun rights are able to be restored.
The second option for restoring your gun rights is getting a pardon from the governor.
Avoiding Felony Charges
The best way to avoid losing your gun rights is to avoid a felony conviction from the beginning. Working with a defense attorney gives you the highest chance of getting a favorable outcome. Our team at Newman & Allen creates numerous defense strategies to fight for our clients’ charges to be reduced or dismissed. To get started on your defense, call us at (909) 328-6101.