Archive for April 2011

Is there life after a felony?

IDAHO FALLS – Is there life after a felony? One woman we talked to is struggling to put her life back together after receiving a felony DUI conviction. And if you think finding a job is hard right now, imagine if you had a felony. Jennifer Quick’s story is proof that if you do something that leads to a felony conviction, the effects don’t end after you’ve paid your fine or done your time. A felony conviction could haunt you for the rest of your life. Ever since Jennifer Quick got a felony DUI conviction, her life has changed. She can’t drive a car, and she can’t find a job. “Is there a life after a felony?” I asked Quick. “There certainly hasn’t been a great qualify of life after a felony, that’s for sure. I’ve been offered 3 or 4 jobs in the last year, and then when they found I had a felony, I was told not to bother,” answered Quick. Quick feels like she’s being judged as a felon, instead of as a human being. “It’s ridiculous in my opinion. It doesn’t matter what your felony is for, you’re a felon, and that’s it. I don’t have a violent crime, I wasn’t out selling drugs, and yet it doesn’t matter, I’m a felon,” explained Quick. “It’s a very serious offense, thousands of lives are lost every year because of DUI’s. So, bottom line is, don’t drink and drive,” said Phil Grimes with the Idaho Falls Police. What makes a DUI a felony in the state of Idaho is three offenses in the last five years. “It’s on the record, and if it’s a felony, it’s on there longer. Lot of people don