Ex-Felon wants to have gun rights back...

[Poonie]

Well, good luck pal, but in my opinion you don't deserve to own a gun. You're an ex-con who committed a felony. How are you to ever again be trusted with the major responsibilities of a firearm? Maybe you should've used your head the day you decided to screw somebody, and you wouldn't now be in this predicament. And don't give me that "I paid my debt to society" bullshit. A felon's debt will never be repaid IMO. You shouldn't be allowed to ever own a firearm. Just my 2c.

[prokaryote]

Thanks for the great advice everyone. I am sure glad I asked for help here.

[awkx]

White-collar crime is crime, someone suffered from your actions. Be it a financial burden, or emotional distress or something else. Now you have to pay the price.

I do feel for you not be able to arm yourself in the looming years, but some time back in the '90's you gave that option up.

The OP committed a crime and he paid the price. He has now turned his life around, and all his rights (including his right to vote) have been restored except for his right to bear arms. Is there any reason for singling out Second Amendment rights for denial? It seems to me that there is no rational reason for doing so, and that it's only anti-gun crap shoved down our throats by Congress-critters who want to scapegoat guns and gun-owners instead of really dealing with the problems of urban violence.

tl;dr: The OP already paid the price, and the only reason he can't own guns is anti-gun hysteria.

[awkx]

Well, good luck pal, but in my opinion you don't deserve to own a gun.

Whether or not the OP deserves to own a gun is a different question from whether the gov't should use violence (or threat thereof) to prevent him from owning a gun. One can believe that the OP doesn't deserve to own a gun, but also believe that it is wrong for the gov't to prevent him from doing so.

[GunLawyer001]

This has mostly been addressed, but to sum up:

Federal convictions can only be addressed by a presidential pardon. State convictions can be addressed by the governor of the state where the conviction took place. Some state convictions allow court relief, but not all state court relief will overcome the federal prohibitions.

Pennsylvania expungements can only be done for PA convictions, and only under limited circumstances. VERY limited. A pardon will suffice. Overturning the conviction might be enough, but is not always enough. Even records of arrests that didn't result in convictions are not slam-dunk candidates for expungements in PA, the courts will allow the cops to keep track of people who looked good for the crime, but not enough for a conviction. Note that arrest records by themselves are not PICS prohibitors, although they might be used by a sheriff to deny an LTCF.

As for whether serving jail time nullifies the offense and means that the criminal paid his debt, that's up to the victims. There are plenty of victimless crimes, like having an unregistered war trophy up in the attic, or tax issues, or failing to file the statutory paperwork required by the many yards of books of statutes and regs. Driving around with an unloaded gun in your car can be a felony or a prohibiting 1st Degree Misdemeanor, and it's hard to identify a victim of that crime.

I wouldn't throw mud at someone who comes here asking for help, not without some additional reason for opprobrium. Criminals don't usually look for the legal way to do anything, people who pay me to assist them to overcome the consequences of their previous mistakes are people who have decided not to buy a gun off the street, they should be given the benefit of the doubt.

[HiredGoon]

Actually, I think, this is a good time to ask for a presidential pardon from Bush as he is on his way out. He WILL be granting some pardons before he leaves office. As seems to be the tradition.

Whether it is too late to even get on the list to be considered, I don't know. Or what the process is, maybe the link in above post can help.

If you have any political connections on a state level that could help you with Bush, that might be a help.

[NY Refugee]

Hey there is an easier way. Now that the big BO is headed to the white house, make a big donation to the DNC and boom you get a pardon. At least that how it worked under the last democrat in the White House.

[jcabin]

As a CJ major I've done a considerable amount of research on white collar crimes. How has this made me feel? It's made me feel people who commit white collar crimes get off the hook way too easy. Usually, the amount of damages inflicted by white collar crimes are significantly higher than a street crime, yet the offenders think its as -meaningless- as throwing their mcdonalds bag out the window. Sorry to say, we all have to pay for our f*ck ups. Just because it wasn't violent doesnt mean you didnt significantly screw up someones life by committing whatever underhanded task you set your mind to. Just because you didnt literally punch someone in the face, doesnt mean your actions didn't lead them to feel as though you did.

[bgeddes]

The OP committed a crime and he paid the price. He has now turned his life around,

If I used an shovel to kill someone's grandmother in the '80's on a drinking binge, but 'paid my price' and 'turned my life around', should I be able to own a firearm?

Honestly, I am d*** glad the OP got his life in order. It seems to be the exception in our justice system. Perhaps the white collar folks are smart enough to get it the first time they get caught. I do not know the individual situation, and it may change my opinion. For now, the rules say no, OP gets no exception from me.

Let me qualify that concept. The general issue is where to draw the line. How many years of proper behavior does a crack dealer need to be able to again buy a gun? Five years for white collar, 10 for violent crime? The whole thing could turn into an exercise in algebra. Right now the line is felony.

[awkx]

Let me qualify that concept. The general issue is where to draw the line. How many years of proper behavior does a crack dealer need to be able to again buy a gun? Five years for white collar, 10 for violent crime? The whole thing could turn into an exercise in algebra. Right now the line is felony.

But why just the right to bear to arms? Why not also deny him his 4th Amendment rights and let the police search him without probably cause?

I see no reason to deny only the right to arms, other than irrational anti-gun sentiment.