In Florida, a convicted felon cannot vote, serve on a jury, or hold a public office until civil rights have been restored. So how do you go about restoring your civil rights? The Florida Constitution provides a process by which convicted felons may petition for relief from punishment and seek restoration of their civil rights, this process is called Clemency. There are a variety of types of clemency, a request for Restoration of Civil Rights is just one type of clemency under the constitution.
The power to grant clemency are vested with the Governor with the agreement of two cabinet members who are also statewide elected officials. The constitution provides specific requirements to apply for restoration of civil rights, failure to follow the requirements can delay the process. If you desire to restore your civil rights, please seek the advice of legal counsel to determine your eligibility, and assistance with the application process. This is something that can take ten to fifteen years so the time is now to start the process.
For more information regarding restoring your civil rights, you can contact the law office of Schwam-Wilcox & Associates.
