3 Benefits of Getting a Pardon in Oklahoma
Having an arrest, charge and/or conviction on your criminal record, especially for a felony offense, can hold you back from building the life you deserve. Many people wonder if getting a pardon is really worth the time and effort, especially if it’s been several years since their incident and they’ve been able to get by.
First, it really doesn’t take a lot of time (usually eight to twelve months) compared to how long you could suffer from the consequences of having a criminal record. Also, with the help of a pardon attorney, it also doesn’t take a lot of effort on your part.
We think a pardon is a great investment in yourself, and here are the top three reasons why:
1. Your Background Check Immediately Looks Better
Nearly any job you apply for will run a background check.
Unfortunately, many employers don’t want to hire someone with a felony on their record.
There are even some situations where employers are prohibited from hiring people with certain convictions.
Getting a pardon immediately improves your employment prospects. However, a pardon doesn’t erase an incident from your criminal record.
Employers will still be able to see the charge, but they’ll also see that it was pardoned. A pardon shows that you’ve positively changed your life in the years after your conviction and that you are now an upstanding, productive member of your community. In many cases, if the State of Oklahoma can forgive you for your mistake, other people will too.
If you want to completely erase the incident from your criminal record, then you can also seek an expungement. For many people, pardons and expungements work hand-in-hand to dramatically improve their employment opportunities.
2. You Get Your Rights Back
People convicted of a felony lose some key rights and privileges, such as:
The right to own a firearm (if the charge was a non-violent offense not listed in 57 O.S. § 571)
Ability to have a passport
Ability to hold public office
The right to serve on a jury
In the past, people convicted of a felony in Oklahoma lost their voting rights indefinitely, or until they were granted a pardon. The law changed in 2020 so now voting rights are automatically restored once the person has completed the entire court-ordered sentence.
The restoration of 2nd Amendment rights is a motivating factor for many Oklahomans who have a family tradition of hunting and shooting.
If you have political aspirations, a pardon will allow you to pursue that goal and serve your community.
3. You Can Apply for an Expungement
Getting a pardon makes the expungement process easier in many cases. In fact, it can speed up the process in many instances. Without a pardon, a person may have to wait years to be eligible for an expungement. But with a pardon, you can immediately petition to have a crime expunged, regardless of the type of crime or length of time since the incident.
Pardons also open the door to an expungement for a violent crime.
An expungement is the only way to completely erase an incident from your criminal record. Doing so seals the record and removes it from public access so it will no longer show up on a background check. You can also legally say that the event never occurred and never have to disclose it on an employment application again.
The combination of a pardon and an expungement can truly transform your life and leave your past in the past.
Move Forward with Your Pardon
If you’re ready to rewrite your story, one where you’re not a convicted felon, then take our free Pardon Eligibility Quiz. It will help us determine if you’re eligible for a pardon in Oklahoma. You can also reach out to our office anytime with questions.
