Should criminals be allowed to hold public office?

Should criminals be allowed to hold public office?

  • Ignoring exceptions, in general I would say NO

    Votes: 9 56.3%

  • Ignoring exceptions, in general I sould say YES

    Votes: 5 31.3%

  • I have no opinion on this matter

    Votes: 2 12.5%
  • Total voters
    16
a person with a criminal record is a person who has supposedly "paid their debt to society." admitedly there are many flaws in this system of payment and in the rehabilitation of criminals it is supposed to facilitate; i dont think the prison system of any country has a very high success rate in this regard. however, a person with a criminal record is still a person, with rights (or they should be). if they arent we might as well keep them in prison.
 
nnewton said:
with rights (or they should be).
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freely given up when they commit a crime. Many are returned upon release/completion of parole or probation.
 
nnewton said:
a person with a criminal record is still a person, with rights (or they should be). if they arent we might as well keep them in prison.
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are you referring to rights in general, or specifically rights to public office? i think that if someone with a record can get elected after the opposition drags them through the mud for their conviction, then they must have something going for them. although, i think it becomes more of an issue at the lower level where candidates more frequently run unopposed. i wouldn't want a person convicted of bribery to be elected to a judicial post or school board for instance.
i also need to start reading the tread before i vote.:disgust2:
 
i was under the impression that people who have served their time and been released are legally entitled to all the rights they enjoyed prior to conviction.
 
and i thought that convicted felons lose certain rights, the right to hold public office being one of them, anybody know for sure or want to dig out some linkage?
 
Gonz said:
nnewton said:
with rights (or they should be).
Click to expand...

freely given up when they commit a crime. Many are returned upon release/completion of parole or probation.
Click to expand...

I thought the law was that you can get your rights
reinstated after 7 years of when the debt to society is paid?

I think it should depend on the crime that was commited.
 
It depends on the crime, history since then and whether a judge deems it appropraite. Giving the voting rights back to a reformed burglar I can see. Giving gun ownership rights back to an former armed robber, no.
 
Tax evaders are political prisoners & should be set free to teach us all.
 
perhaps we should make it so you have to have a criminal record to hold office. it would bring all the skeletons out of the cupboard :D
 
I see no point in justifying myself to you flavio, nor explain my budget, and I'm not going to persue matters where I made my point.
 
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