Having a criminal record comes with many costs, and only some of them are financial!
Even if they’ve never been arrested, most people can tell you that simply being charged with a crime is going to cost you! Going to jail might mean losing your job and hiring an experienced attorney to defend you is expensive. (You never want to hire a cheap attorney. Most attorneys understand their own value.) However, when you stop and think about it, the cost of a criminal conviction goes far beyond the issue of money. The costs, as it were, are much more than financial!
In addition to money and a viable income, a criminal record can also cost you relationships, the ability to get a good job, and respectability in your community. And that’s still not all! In addition to all of the intangible ways that having a criminal record will cost you, there are also the many rights you will lose as a result. Both state and federal laws are very specific about the fact that convicted felons may not do, participate in, or own, certain things.
So what do you lose out on with a criminal record? How is your future affected? The list of your potential losses is enormous, and it looks like this:
You LOSE The Right to Bear Arms:
Both federal and Michigan law says that a convicted felon may not legally own or possess a gun or firearm of any kind. In addition, Michigan law also forbids a convicted felon from getting a concealed carry permit. (You might be eligible to restore your gun rights after a lengthy waiting period. Check out www.RestoreMyGunRights.info for more details!)
You LOSE The Right to Join the Military:
If you’ve been convicted of a felony in Michigan, regardless of how long ago the crime took place, or what you did, you’re forbidden from serving in the military. This includes all branches of the armed forces – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and National Guard.
You LOSE The Right to Serve on a Jury:
Michigan state law does not allow anyone who has been convicted of a felony to serve on a jury in a Michigan court.
You Might LOSE Your Professional License:
Being convicted of a crime often results in the loss of a professional license. Doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, counselors, police officers, cosmeticians, contractors, fire fighters, builders and accountants are all required to have licenses in order to do their jobs. Depending on the profession or industry, many licensed individuals have a duty to report a criminal charge or conviction to their professional licensing board. In many cases, a criminal conviction results in the loss of their job!
You LOSE The Right to own a Michigan Liquor License:
Convicted felons in Michigan are not allowed by law to own a liquor license. This means that you wouldn’t be able to own or operate a bar or restaurant that serves liquor. (This doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t work as a waitress, waiter, or bartender in one of these establishments. Only the owner is required to have a Michigan liquor license!)
You LOSE The Right to own a Gaming (Casino) license:
The majority of jobs that a person can get at a casino here in Michigan, requires that you have a license from the Michigan Gaming Commission. For those who’ve been convicted of a felony here in Michigan, you’re immediately disqualified from receiving this license.
For all of these reasons and more, we urge anyone facing criminal charges to ensure that they get the best possible defense attorney to represent them. Like many other things in life, you get what you pay for! So when it comes to attorneys, hire the best one you can afford! If you or a loved one are facing criminal charges in Michigan, contact The Kronzek Firm 24/7 at 866 766 5245. Getting a well respected, experienced defense attorney on board right from the very beginning can go a long way towards ensuring a favorable result in your case.