Reduce Felony, Expunge Convictions, Seal Arrests, Restore Gun Rights.

SACRAMENTO, CA, USA, January 4, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- More than 30 percent of California adults have a criminal record. Under a host of new laws that took effect earlier this week, people who have previously been unable to expunge their criminal record can now petition the court for relief.

Without an expungement or a certificate of rehabilitation, those with criminal convictions often face barriers to advancing in their careers or obtaining professional employment. But under the new laws, employers can no longer ask about expunged convictions during a job interview nor can they hold an expunged conviction against an applicant or employee.

According to California attorney Richard Boire, the new laws “not only make it possible for more people to shed their ‘felon’ label, these changes also expand the number of people who can qualify for a certificate of rehabilitation.” A certificate of rehabilitation is often the first step toward a full pardon by the Governor.

Boire’s law firm has won twenty pardons for clients under Governor Brown, six of which were just awarded on Christmas Eve. “The doors are now open for more people than ever before,” says Attorney Boire.

Boire has specialized in “post-conviction relief” (expungements, felony reductions, certificates of rehabilitation and governor’s pardons) for nearly 30 years and he has seen the political tide change. “When I started practicing in 1990,” says Boire, “a single criminal conviction could derail a person for his or her entire life. Today, many judges realize that it’s good for society to give people a second chance.”

“We specialize in helping professionals who may have had a drug problem in the past, or lost control of their lives at some point,” says Boire. A convicted felon faces major barriers in life. For example, a parent with an old felony conviction may not be able to volunteer at her child’s school and is often excluded from obtaining professional licenses necessary for any careers.

A felony reduction, says Attorney Boire, “converts the old felony into misdemeanor and, in most cases, this restores all rights previously lost as a result of the felony, including restoring gun rights.” The person is no longer a “felon.”

For those sentenced to prison, as opposed to probation, Attorney Boire says that the new laws make more people eligible for a Certificate of Rehabilitation and Pardon. Boire’s firm has obtained certificates and pardons for people with a wide range of convictions. “These are complicated cases,” explains Boire, “but I’ve obtained certificates and pardons for people convicted of felony burglary, felony drug offenses, and all sorts of theft crimes.”

“Our job in court" says Attorney Boire, “is to place the person’s criminal behavior in the context of the rest of his or her life as a peaceful and productive citizen and show that he or she has learned from their mistakes and earned the right to advance in society without unnecessary obstacles.”

Most people with criminal convictions are not career criminals. “My clients,” says Boire, “are no different than the people you meet every day. Many are professionals: doctors and nurses, real estate agents, bankers, entertainers, cops and prospective politicians.” He has helped people in every California county and from all over the US and abroad. “If your conviction was in a California court,” explains Boire “we can handle the case, including all the court hearings, without you needing to appear in court.”

The new California laws took effect January 1, 2019.

Alex Sterling
Law Firm of Richard Glen Boire
+1 2138634796
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