Being convicted of a felony is being permanently branded as an unfavorable member of society even after you have served your punishment. It’s a life sentence that you carry day-by-day which negatively affects every aspect of your life.

Although you may believe that there are no other options, California felonies can be reduced to a misdemeanor in an effort to restore the rights that were taken away, affording you a second chance of living a normal life again.
 

Benefits Of Felony Reduction

With a felony conviction, you lose your right to vote, own or possess firearms, and acquiring state licenses become more difficult. Additionally, employers are less likely to hire a convicted felon.

By reducing your felony, you will be able to declare that you have never been convicted of one in the first place, and all the rights you would legally lose will be reinstated to you.

Most importantly, prospective employers will not be able to discriminate against you or deny employment if they do find out about your prior conviction.
 

Felony Reduction Requirements

There are only two requirements to be eligible for a felony reduction in California:

1. Be convicted of a “wobbler” crime as a felony
2. Be sentenced to felony probation and complete it

A “wobbler” crime is a crime that can be prosecuted as either a felony or a misdemeanor. The crime “wobbles” between the two based on the circumstances that surround the specific incidents relating to the crime.

If you have been denied probation or violated your probation and had to serve time in a California State Prison or county jail, you will not be eligible for a felony reduction.
 

Remaining Penalties

Even if your felony was successfully reduced to a misdemeanor, there are still certain penalties that are carried over from specific California felony convictions. Penalties include:

• If the offense you were convicted of was a serious or violent felony then your conviction will remain as a “strike” and count towards California’s Three Strikes Law.
• You will still need to register as a sex offender if the offense required you to in the first place, even after reducing your felony to a misdemeanor.
• Your conviction may still be viewed as a felony by the federal government under its firearms statutes.
• Certain state licensing agencies may still view your conviction as a felony

These penalties are non-negotiable and cannot be reduced or removed by any attorney no matter what the circumstances are.
 

Getting Started On Your Felony Reduction

At Quinnan Law, we understand how stressful life can be when dealing with a felony conviction. If you or a loved one wish to take the next step and discuss your options for a felony reduction, contact us for a free initial case evaluation.

We will discuss your case and evaluate your possible options of defense. Everyone deserves to be granted a second chance in life and we are here to fight and defend on your behalf every step of the way.