Can I Restore my Rights if I Have a Felony Vehicle Conviction?

Convictions for felony vehicle crimes cannot be set aside, but they can be reduced to misdemeanors. Oregon Revised Statute 161.705 allows a Class C Felony to be reduced to a Class A Misdemeanor. Felony reduction to misdemeanor applies to convictions for criminal as well as vehicle crimes.

Once a felony conviction is properly reduced to a misdemeanor, the person is no longer a felon; none of the restrictions on felons apply, including ability to purchase and possess a firearm.

Felony Reduction to Misdemeanor requires reopening the criminal case and asking the judge to find that it is unduly harsh for the conviction to remain a felony. The judge will consider the history and character of the defendant, as well as the nature of the crime. The goal is to prove that the defendant no longer deserves the label and disabilities that go with the label of felon.