Consequences of a Felony
Consequences of a Felony Conviction in Oklahoma
An individual convicted of a felony crime by a court of record is known as a felon. In Oklahoma, where the felony/misdemeanor distinction is still widely applied, “felony” is defined as a crime which is punishable by death or imprisonment in the state penitentiary. Oklahoma defines a “misdemeanor” very generally: a misdemeanor is any crime which is not a felony. A general rule-of-thumb is that misdemeanors are generally crimes which are punishable by one year or less in county jail.
Specifically, in Oklahoma:
A "felon" cannot:
- vote during sentence (Okla. Const., Art. III, Sec. 1, 26 O.S. 4-101),
- sit on a jury (38 O.S. § 28),
- run for public office within 15 years of completing sentence (26 O.S. § 5-105a),
- be state employed (51 O.S. § 24.1),
- bear arms (21 O.S. § 1283 and 18 O.S. 922g), and
- possibly not have a driver's license (47 O.S. § 6-205).
A "felon" may never become a:
- corporate director (18 O.S. § 1001),
- bank officer (6 O.S. § 1407),
- executor or administrator of an estate (58 O.S. §§ 102, 126),
- liquor dealer (37 O.S. § 527),
- funeral director (59 O.S. § 396.12),
- surveyor (59 O.S. § 475.18),
- physical therapist (59 O.S. § 887.13),
- chiropractor (59 O.S. § 161.2),
- official shorthand reporter (20 O.S. § 1502),
- realtor (59 O.S. § 858-312), or
- bondsman (59 O.S. § 1310).
A "felon" may just as well forget the professions of law (5 O.S. § 13),
- architecture (59 O.S. § 46.14),
- accounting (59 O.S. § 15.8),
- engineering (59 O.S. § 475.18),
- medicine (59 O.S. § 509),
- dentistry (59 O.S. § 328.32),
- pharmacy (59 O.S. § 353.26),
- psychology (59 O.S. § 1370),
- veterinary science (59 O.S. § 98.4),
- real estate appraisal (59 O.S. § 858-732),
- occupational therapy (59 O.S. § 888.9),
- marriage and domestic counseling (59 O.S. § 1912),
- osteopathy (59 O.S. § 637),
- nursing (59 O.S. § 567.8), and
- cosmetology (59 O.S. § 199.11),
A “felon” cannot have employment in such fields as a
- pawnbroker (59 O.S. § 1503A),
- polygraph examiner (59 O.S. § 1458),
- security guard (59 O.S. § 1750.5), or
- in the security alarm industry (59 O.S. § 1800.13).
Furthermore, in many parts of the United States, a convicted felon can face other long-term legal consequences regardless of where the conviction occurred. Such consequences, which persist long after the end of imprisonment, include:
- Disenfranchisement
- Exclusion from obtaining certain licenses, such as a visa, or professional licenses required in order to legally operate
- Ineligibility to adopt or have foster children
- Exclusion from the purchase and possession of firearms, ammunition and body armor
- Inability to serve on a jury
- Ineligibility for government assistance or welfare,
- Ineligibility for federally funded student loans
- Inability to receive federally funded housing
- Deportation (if the criminal is not a citizen)
Additionally, most job applications and rental applications ask about felony history. Furthermore, dishonest answers will usually result in denial or termination (if discovered after the fact). It is legal to discriminate against felons in hiring decisions as well as the decision to rent housing; as such, felons face barriers to finding both jobs and housing. Moreover, a common condition of parole is that the convicted felon must avoid associating with other felons.