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8/16/2019 Michigan Felon Voting Rights
1/2
STATE LAW
The rights felons lose are primarily governed by state
law. There are also several rights lost upon conviction
pursuant to federal law (i.e. the right to sit on a federal
grand jury). At one time, many states had disabling laws
known as civil death statutes. The typical death statuteprovided:
“A person sentenced to imprisonment in the state
prison for life is thereafter deemed civilly dead and a
sentence of imprisonment in a state prison for anytime
less than for life suspends all the civil rights of the
person so sentenced, and forfeits all public offices
and all private trusts, authority and power during such
imprisonment.”
State & Federal
Rights & PrivilegesLost upon Conviction of a Felony
An overview of the rights & privileges citizens
lose upon conviction of a felony
OVERVIEW
There has been concern for many years regarding the
disparate treatment some racial groups are subjected to in
the criminal justice system. In the United States, the ratio
of Blacks and Hispanics currently incarcerated in state
and federal prisons is disproportionately higher than theirrepresentation in the general population. The disparity
continues after release from prison. The treatment that
minorities receive in the criminal justice system is the
subject of numerous studies, articles, and books. This
brochure is a summary of the rights and privileges
Michigan citizens lose upon conviction of a felony.
WHAT IS A FELONY?
In Michigan, a felony is a crime that is punishable by
one or more years in prison, unless otherwise specically
provided in the statute dening the crime. People v.
Alford, 104 Mich. App. 255, 304 N.W.2d 541 (1981).
See also M.C.L. § 750.7.
Michigan Department of Civil Rights
Capitol Tower Building
110 W. Michigan Ave, Suite 800
Lansing, MI 48913
For more information call:
1-800-482-3604
or visit
http://www.mi.gov/mdcr
Number of Copies Printed: 3,000 Total Cost: $152.31 Cost Per Copy: $0.07
8/16/2019 Michigan Felon Voting Rights
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R I G H
T
S T A T E L A W
F E D E R A L
L A W
R i g h t T o V o t e
M i c h i g a n p r o h i b i t s p e r s o n s w h o h a v e b e e n c o n v i c t e d i n s t a t e a n d
f e d e r a l c o u r t , f r o
m v o t i n g w h i l e i n c a r c e r a t
e d . T h i s r i g h t i s p r o h i b i t e d
i f t h e c r i m e i s a m i s d e m e a n o r o r f e l o n y . M . C . L . § 1 6 8 . 7 5 8 b . T h e r i g h t
t o v o t e i s a u t o m
a t i c a l l y r e s t o r e d u p o n r e l e a
s e .
S t a t e l a w d e t e r m i n e s w h e n a p e r s o n ’ s r i g h t t o
v o t e i s a b r i d g e d .
R i g h t t o S e r
v e o n
a J u r y
A p e r s o n c o n v i c t e d o f a f e l o n y o f f e n s e i s b a r r e d f r o m s e r v i n g o n a j u r y
d u r i n g t h e t e r m
o f h i s / h e r s e n t e n c e . M . C . L
. A . § 6 0 0 . 1 3 0 7 a ( 1 ) ( e ) .
T h e r e i s d e b a t e
a s t o w h e t h e r t h i s r i g h t i s a u t o m a t i c a l l y r e s t o r e d
u p o n r e l e a s e f r o
m s e n t e n c e . M i c h i g a n c a s e l a w p r o v i d e s t h e r i g h t i s
a u t o m a t i c a l l y r e
s t o r e d u p o n r e l e a s e f r o m s e
n t e n c e ; h o w e v e r , t h e r i g h t
c a n b e c h a l l e n g e d f o r c a u s e d u r i n g j u r y s e l e c t i o n p u r s u a n t t o M . C . R .
2 . 5 1 1 ( D ) ( 2 ) , 6 . 4 1 2 ( D ) .
A p e r s o n c o n v i c t e d o f a f e l o n y i s p r e c l u d e d
f r o m s e r v i n g o n a f e d e r a
l g r a n d j u r y u n l e s s
h i s / h e r c i v i l r i g h t s h a v e
b e e n r e s t o r e d . 2 8
U . S . C . § 1 8 6 5 ( b ) ( 5 ) .
A p e r s o n c a n s e e k t o h a v e t h e i r c i v i l r i g h t s
r e s t o r e d t h r o u g h a p r e s i d e n t i a l p a r d o n o r
“ s o m e a f r m a t i v e a c t r e c o g n i z e d i n l a w . . . ”
U . S . v . H e f n e r , 8 4 2 F . 2 d
7 3 1 ( 4 t h C
i r . ) c e r t .
d e n . 4 8 8 U . S . 8 6 8 ( 1 9 8 8 ) .
F r e e d o m o f
I n f o r m a t i o n
A c t
M i c h i g a n ’ s F r e e d o m o f I n f o r m a t i o n A c t
p r o v i d e s : “ [ a ] l l p e r s o n s ,
e x c e p t t h o s e p e r s o n s i n c a r c e r a t e d i n s t a t e o r l o c a l c o r r e c t i o n a l f a c i l i t i e s ,
a r e e n t i t l e d t o f u l l a n d c o m p l e t e i n f o r m a t i o n r e g a r d i n g t h e a f f a i r s o f
g o v e r n m e n t a n d
t h e o f c i a l a c t s o f t h o s e w h
o r e p r e s e n t t h e m a s p u b l i c
o f c i a l s a n d p u b l i c e m p l o y e e s . ” M . C . L . A .
§ 1 5 . 2 3 1 .
T h i s r i g h t i s a u t o m a t i c a l l y r e s t o r e d u p o n r e
l e a s e .
5 U . S . C . A . § 5 5 2 , t h e f e d e r a l F r e e d o m o f
I n f o r m a t i o n A c t p r o v i d e s d e n i a l o f a n i n m a t e ’ s
r e q u e s t f o r i n f o r m a t i o n w h e r e t h e i n f o r m a t i o n
r e q u e s t e d i s e x e m p t b e c a u s e i t i s c o v e r e d b y
a n o t h e r w i t h h o l d i n g s t a t u
t e .
T h i s r i g h t i s a u t o m a t i c a l l y r e s t o r e d u p o n
r e l e a s e .
F i r e a r m s P r i v i l e g e s
T h e r i g h t t o p o s s e s s , u s e , t r a n s p o r t , s e l l , p u r c h a s e , c a r r y , s h i p , r e c e i v e ,
o r d i s t r i b u t e a r e a r m i s p r o h i b i t e d u p o n c o n v i c t i o n o f a f e l o n y . M . C . L .
§ 7 5 0 . 2 2 4 f . T h i s
r i g h t i s s u s p e n d e d f o r a m i n i m u m o f t h r e e y e a r s f r o m
t h e d a t e s e n t e n c
e i s c o m p l e t e d .
I f t h e u n d e r l y i n
g f e l o n y i s a v i o l e n t o r d r u g o f f e n s e , s u s p e n s i o n o f
t h e r i g h t r e m a i n
s i n p l a c e f o r v e y e a r s f r o m t h e d a t e t h e s e n t e n c e i s
c o m p l e t e d . M . C
. L . § 7 5 0 . 2 2 4 f ( 1 ) ( 2 ) .
A f t e r c o m p l e t i o
n o f a l l t e r m s o f s e n t e n c e o n e c a n a t t e m p t t o g e t
p r i v i l e g e r e s t o r e
d p u r s u a n t t o M . C . L . 7 5 0 . 2 2 4 f .
T h e w o r d f e l o n y f o r p u r p o s e s o f M . C . L . 7 5 0 . 2 2 4 f m e a n s a v i o l a t i o n
o f a l a w o f t h i s s t a t e , o r o f a n o t h e r s t a t e , o r o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s t h a t
i s p u n i s h a b l e b y
i m p r i s o n m e n t f o r 4 y e a r s
o r m o r e , o r a n a t t e m p t t o
v i o l a t e s u c h l a w
s . M . C . L . § 7 5 0 . 2 2 4 f ( 5 ) .
T h e G u n C o n t r o l A c t o f 1 9 6 8 , a s a m e n d e d , 1 8
U . S . C . § 9 2 1 , e t s e q . p r o v i d e s i n p a r t , “ a p e r s o n
c o n v i c t e d i n a n y c o u r t o f
a c r i m e p u n i s h a b l e
b y i m p r i s o n m e n t f o r a t e r m e x c e e d i n g o n e
y e a r m a y n o t s h i p , t r a n
s p o r t , p o s s e s s , o r
r e c e i v e a n y r e a r m o r a m m
u n i t i o n . ” 1 8 U . S . C .
§ 9 2 1 ( a ) ( 3 ) .
T h i s p r o h i b i t i o n i s r e m o v e
d u p o n r e l e a s e f r o m
s e n t e n c e a n d r e s t o r a t i o n o
f a l l o f t h e p e r s o n ’ s
c i v i l r i g h t s . I n o r d e r t o r e
g a i n s o m e o f t h e s e
r i g h t s , a p r e s i d e n t i a l p a r
d o n o r s o m e o t h e r
a f r m a t i v e a c t i s r e q u i r e d
.
R i g h t t o F i l e
a C i v i l
R i g h t s C o m p
l a i n t
M i c h i g a n ’ s E l l i o t t - L a r s e n C i v i l R i g h t s
A c t a n d P e r s o n ’ s W i t h
D i s a b i l i t i e s C i v i l R i g h t s A c t , a s a m e n d e d b
y t h e P u b l i c A c t s o f 1 9 9 9 ,
P u b l i c A c t s 2 0 1
a n d 2 0 2 , d o n o t p r o v i d e p r o
t e c t i o n f o r p e r s o n s s e r v i n g
a s e n t e n c e o f i m
p r i s o n m e n t i n a s t a t e o r c o
u n t y c o r r e c t i o n a l f a c i l i t y .
P r o t e c t i o n u n d e r b o t h a c t s i s r e s t o r e d u p o n
r e l e a s e .
F e d e r a l p r i s o n e r s m a y b r i n
g c i v i l s u i t s a l l e g i n g
v i o l a t i o n s o f c o n s t i t u t i o n a l a n d c i v i l r i g h t s , b u t
t h e r e a r e l i m i t a t i o n s p l a c
e d u p o n t h e m . S e e
P r i s o n L i t i g a t i o n R e f o r m A c t , 4 2 U . S . C . §
1 9 9 7 e .
R i g h t t o E m p
l o y m e n t
a n d L i c e n s e s
U p o n c o n v i c t i o n
o f a f e l o n y o f f e n s e , p e r s o n s
h o l d i n g o f c e a r e r e m o v e d
a n d t h e o f c e b e c o m e s v a c a n t . M . C . L . § 2 0 1 . 3 ( 5 ) . I f c o n v i c t e d o f a n
e l e c t i o n o f f e n s e
a n d l a t e r e l e c t e d , t h a t p e r s o
n i s n o t p e r m i t t e d t o e n t e r
t h e o f c e f o r w h i c h e l e c t e d . M . C . L . § 1 6
8 . 9 3 2 , 1 6 8 . 9 3 8 . A p u b l i c
o f c e r c o n v i c t e d o f a c c e p t i n g a b r i b e f o r e
v e r f o r f e i t s e l i g i b i l i t y f o r
a p o s i t i o n o f p u b l i c o f c e , p u b l i c t r u s t o
r a p p o i n t m e n t u n d e r t h e
c o n s t i t u t i o n a n d
l a w s o f t h i s s t a t e . M . C . L . § 7 5 0 . 1 1 8 .
C i t y o f c e r s c o
n v i c t e d o f a f e l o n y a r e i m
m e d i a t e l y r e m o v e d f r o m
o f c e a n d a r e i n e l i g i b l e f o r e l e c t i o n o r a p p o i n t m e n t f o r a p e r i o d o f
t h r e e y e a r s a f t e r t h e d a t e o f r e m o v a l . P e r s
o n s c o n v i c t e d o f i l l e g a l l y
p r o v i d i n g a c o p
y o f a c i v i l s e r v i c e e x a m i n a t i o n o r a n s w e r s a r e n o t
e l i g i b l e f o r e l e c t i v e o r a p p o i n t i v e o f c e f o r 2 0 y e a r s a f t e r t h e d a t e o f
c o n v i c t i o n . M . C
. L . 1 6 8 . 3 2 7 .
P e r s o n s c o n v i c t e d o f s u b v e r s i o n o r b r e a c
h o f p u b l i c t r u s t a r e n o t
e l i g i b l e f o r e i t h e r h o u s e o f t h e L e g i s l a t u r e
f o r 2 0 y e a r s f r o m t h e d a t e
o f c o n v i c t i o n . M
i c h . C o n s t . A r t . 4 , § 7 .
P e r s o n s c o n v i c t e d o f a f e l o n y i n v o l v i n g a
m o t o r v e h i c l e c o u l d l o s e
t h e i r d r i v e r s l i c e n s e . M . C . L . § 2 5 7 . 3 1 9 . I n
o r d e r t o h a v e t h e l i c e n s e
A p e r s o n w h o i s c o n v i
c t e d o f t r e a s o n i s
“ i n c a p a b l e o f h o l d i n g a n y o f c e u n d e r t h e
U n i t e d S t a t e s . ” 1 8 U . S . C . § 2 3 8 1 .
A p e r s o n c o n v i c t e d o f a f e l o n y i s i n e l i g i b l e t o
e n l i s t i n a n y o f t h e a r m e d
f o r c e s . 1 0 U . S . C . §
1 5 0 4 . A p e r s o n r e c e i v i n g
a m i l i t a r y p e n s i o n
w i l l h a v e t h o s e b e n e t s
s u s p e n d e d 6 0 d a y s
a f t e r c o n f i n e m e n t w i t h
r e s t o r a t i o n u p o n
r e l e a s e . 3 8 U . S . C . § 1 5 0 5
( a ) .
A c o n v i c t i o n r e s u l t i n g
f r o m
b r i b i n g o r
a c c e p t i n g a b r i b e m a y r e s u
l t i n d i s q u a l i c a t i o n
f r o m f e d e r a l o f c e . D i s q u a l i c a t i o n i s a t t h e
d i s c r e t i o n o f t h e f e d e r a l
c o u r t . 1 8 U . S . C . §
2 3 8 1 .
A n a l i e n c a n h a v e a v i s a r e v o k e d a n d b e
d e p o r t e d f r o m t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s f o r c o n v i c t i o n
o f c r i m e s i n v o l v i n g m o r a l t u r p i t u d e a n d d r u g
o f f e n s e s . 8 U . S . C . 1 1 8 2 ( a
) ( 2 ) ( A ) , ( B ) , ( C ) .