A felony conviction will have a significant impact on your life. It can impact your ability to earn a living, result in the loss of a processional license, disqualify you from accessing financial aid for college, exclude you from certain kinds of public housing (or make your chances of getting help much worse), impact your privacy and more.

Depending on the crime you’re convicted for, you may lose certain civil rights or be asked not to live in a particular area, even if you lived there in the past. Of course, most felony charges have a mandatory minimum prison sentence of at least one year.

Since a felony can have a major impact on your life, it’s important to remember that you have the right to stay silent if you’re arrested and do not have to say or do anything that might incriminate you.

How can a felony impact your career?

A felony may impact your career by disqualifying you for certain licensing or from entering certain programs. You may also find it difficult to obtain financial aid. If you have a felony DUI, you may lose your license.

How does a felony impact your rights?

Depending on the crime, you may give up different civil rights. For example, a convicted felon may no longer be able to vote, join the military or carry a firearm. There are cases where felons can have these rights restored, but they are usually on a case-by-case basis.

These are just some of the many ways that you could be impacted by a felony conviction. As you can see, every aspect of your life could be altered if a charge turns into a conviction.

What can you do to protect yourself?

If you really want to protect yourself against a conviction, it’s important to say quiet during an arrest, be on good behavior and to speak with your attorney as soon as possible. Your attorney will review your case and talk to you about the options for a defense, so you have a better idea of what to expect as your case moves forward.