Facing felony charges in Pennsylvania is a serious, life-altering event. While the immediate focus is often on avoiding or minimizing prison time, you must understand that a felony conviction carries a heavy burden of consequences that can follow you long after your sentence is served.
These often-overlooked restrictions, known as collateral consequences, can permanently change your opportunities for work, housing, education, and even your basic civil rights. You need to be fully aware of what’s at stake and the necessity of building a powerful defense.
Barriers to Employment and Professional Licensing
A felony conviction can significantly limit your career path. In Pennsylvania, many employers conduct background checks, and a felony can be a basis for disqualification.
Professional Licenses: You may be barred or restricted from obtaining or maintaining occupational licenses required for fields like healthcare, education, finance, and various skilled trades. Even if the law doesn't impose an automatic ban, licensing boards have the discretion to deny applications based on your criminal history.
Public Employment: State and municipal employers may be prohibited from hiring you for certain positions, though they generally must consider the nature of the crime and its relevance to the job.
Housing and Public Assistance Restrictions
Finding stable housing and accessing necessary public benefits becomes much more difficult with a felony on your record.
Public Housing: Many public housing authorities and landlords conduct background checks and may legally deny housing to individuals with felony convictions, particularly those involving drugs or violent crime.
Student Loans and Benefits: Eligibility for certain federal and state student financial aid (grants and loans) and various public assistance programs may be restricted or lost entirely, making educational and financial stability an uphill battle.
Loss of Fundamental Civil Rights
Some of the most permanent and impactful consequences involve your fundamental rights as a citizen.
Firearm Rights: A conviction for any felony offense in Pennsylvania results in a lifetime ban on owning, possessing, or controlling a firearm. This is one of the most serious and difficult rights to have restored.
Jury Service: In Pennsylvania, a felony conviction generally results in a permanent disqualification from serving on a jury in any criminal or civil court proceeding.
Voting Rights: While your right to vote is restored upon your release from prison, you are ineligible to vote while incarcerated for a felony conviction.
The Need for a Harrisburg Felony Lawyer
The goal of your defense is not just to minimize direct sentencing but to mitigate these lifelong collateral consequences. The Dorward Law Firm understands that a plea bargain or conviction on a lesser charge, even a misdemeanor, can be the difference between a minor inconvenience and a permanent, devastating restriction on your life. We can fight for your freedom and future.
Don't let a felony charge define the rest of your life. If you or a loved one is facing felony charges in Pennsylvania, you need a confident and expert legal team in your corner. Contact The Dorward Law Firm today at (717) 429-0411 for a consultation to discuss a strategy focused on protecting your future.