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lawguy we're nearly stats twins :D
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Simple English definitions for legal terms
felon
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A quick definition of felon:
A felon is someone who has committed a very serious crime called a felony. If someone is a felon, they may get punished more severely if they commit another crime in the future. They may also have to follow special laws that other people don't have to follow. Some states have laws to help felons stay out of trouble and not commit more crimes. For example, in California, employers can't find out about a felony someone committed more than 7 years ago.
A more thorough explanation:
A felon is someone who has committed a serious crime called a felony. If a person is convicted of a felony, they may face harsher punishments for future crimes. For example, in some states, if a felon is convicted of a third felony, they may be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Being a felon can also mean that a person has to follow certain laws that others do not. For instance, in Illinois, it is against the law for a felon to have a gun.
Because felons are at a higher risk of committing more crimes, some states have laws to help prevent this from happening. For example, in California, employers cannot be told about a felony that happened more than seven years ago when they do a background check on a job applicant.
Example: John was convicted of a felony for stealing a car. Even after he served his time in prison, he was not allowed to own a gun because of his status as a felon. If John were to commit another felony, he could face a much harsher punishment than someone who had never been convicted of a felony before.