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"I could never vote for a convicted felon." "Democrats should say 'convicted felon' every time they say Trump's name."
When we hear these comments, we cringe. Not because we support former President Donald Trump. But how we choose our leaders should not be about a felony conviction—it should be about character and actions. When we are unable to see anyone as more than one thing—"felon"—it harms our communities, our neighbors and robs us of potential visionary leaders.
Both of us are public defenders and law professors who have committed our careers to working with people ensnared in our imperfect criminal legal system. We have sat in windowless rooms with shackled clients discussing religion, politics, literature, and philosophy. We have consoled clients desperate to get felonies off their records because despite their hard work, they cannot get a job — all the employers see is "felon."
We have debated the law and legal strategy with our clients and then happily watched as we won cases because of their good ideas. Now law professors, we invite our previously incarcerated clients to teach law students how to zealously and empathetically work with clients.
When we hear, "I just do not understand how someone could vote for a convicted felon," we think about our clients who have inspired us with their optimism, creativity, and brilliance. We think about the client who is now a minister. But he almost did not get there because he trusted the wrong people at his darkest moment and ended up with a felony drug conviction. When his family disowned him after learning he was gay, he went to live with friends who accepted him, friends who were also selling large quantities of drugs. Now, he can guide and counsel his community with the wisdom gained from this experience.
We think about the father of college graduates who has worked for a temp company for more than a decade. He gets stellar reviews from all his supervisors. Unfortunately, every time a promotion comes up, they check his record and find a 20-year-old felony conviction for carrying a gun without a license. Despite his current work record, they regularly write him off, and he loses promotions because he is a "felon." Those companies lose a manager who leads by example with hard work and far-sighted, strategic thinking.
A person with immense power and influence who chooses to commit criminal offenses is very different from most of the millions of people in this overly criminalized country living with felony convictions. We would absolutely vote for many of them, if they were running for office.
Because of their experiences within our criminal legal system, these individuals do give a tremendous amount to their communities. They are mentors to young people, start non-profits, and raise their children. They could be so much more if we extended to them the kind of grace we have seen them give to others. Like all of us, they are more than their worst moments. We should not merely see and define them as "convicted felons."
People across the country are fighting to end the stigma of felony records, which also effects families and communities. So that a mom with an old conviction can get a decent job that supports her family. So that someone who has overcome a substance abuse disorder can become a lawyer and defend those still in the throes of addiction. So that a person who stole a purse can work directly with patients in a nursing home. We would hate to see Donald Trump's felony convictions, important as they may be, rollback these efforts.
We would never vote for Trump, felony conviction or not. Our justice system doesn't often allow for nuance, but the rest of us are capable of it, and we're asking Americans to use more nuance when we talk about voting for a "convicted felon." A felony conviction should not disqualify someone from having a great job, voting, or running for office.
Despite the ongoing injustices they experience, our clients embody the very traits we desperately seek in our leaders—intelligence, kindness, and courage. We would vote for many of our former clients, and we would love to hear their voices at the forefront of our public discourse. Our country would be better for it.
Katie Kronick is an assistant professor of law and director of the Criminal Defense and Advocacy Clinic at University of Baltimore Law. She has represented clients in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and New Jersey.
Amanda K. Rogers is visiting professor of law at Georgetown Law with the Criminal Justice Clinics. She was a public defender in the District of Columbia and represented clients throughout the country on federal compassionate release motions as director of Villanova Law's Caritas Clemency Clinic.
The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.
