Rights Restoration Options Besides Expungement or Set Aside?

We think of Rights Restoration as a hierarchy. At the top is expungement or set aside, which makes the conviction disappear. You can’t get better than that.

If you cannot expunge or set aside, the next best thing is to turn a felony into a misdemeanor. This is done through a law that allows a judge to reduce a conviction. The result is that the person is no longer a felon. More information on felony reduction is available in that section of our articles.

If felony reduction is not available, we can look at a firearm rights restoration. For qualifying convictions, a judge can restore a person’s Oregon firearm rights if he/she finds by “clear and convincing evidence” that the person is not a threat to him/herself or others. More information about firearm rights restoration is available in that section of our articles.