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FIREARMS LAWS OF MICHIGAN

Opinion No. 7133 May 2, 2003 CONCEALED WEAPONS:

Eligibility for concealed pistol license of persons whose felony convictions have been set aside

FIREARMS: CRIMINAL LAW:

$ SHUVRQ FRQYLFWHG RI D IHORQ\ ZKRVH FRQYLFWLRQ KDV EHHQ VHW DVLGH E\ RUGHU RI D 0LFKLJDQ FRXUW LQ DFFRUGDQFH ZLWK 3$ DV DPHQGHG LI RWKHUZLVH TXDOL¿HG PD\ QRW EH GHQLHG D FRQFHDOHG SLVWRO OLFHQVH XQGHU VHFWLRQ E I RI WKH &RQ cealed Pistol Licensing Act. A person convicted of one of the offenses described under section 5b(8) of the Concealed Pistol Licensing Act, whose conviction has been set aside, may nevertheless be denied a concealed pistol license on the basis of information concerning that conviction if the concealed weapon licensing board determines that denial is warranted under section 5b(7)(o) of the Act. Col. Tadarial J. Sturdivant, Director Your predecessor has asked whether a person convicted of a felony whose conviction has been set aside by order of a 0LFKLJDQ FRXUW LQ DFFRUGDQFH ZLWK 3$ DV DPHQGHG LI RWKHUZLVH TXDOL¿HG PD\ DSSO\ IRU DQG REWDLQ D FRQFHDOHG pistol license under the Concealed Pistol Licensing Act. The Concealed Pistol Licensing Act (CPLA), 1927 PA 372, as amended, MCL 28.421 et seq , authorizes a county concealed weapon licensing board to issue a license to carry a concealed pistol to an eligible applicant. MCL 28.425b. An applicant is required to provide a statement whether the applicant “has ever been convicted” of a felony or a misdemeanor. MCL 28.425b(1)(e). $ FRQFHDOHG ZHDSRQ OLFHQVLQJ ERDUG ³VKDOO LVVXH´ D OLFHQVH WR TXDOL¿HG SHUVRQV ZKR KDYH ³QHYHU EHHQ FRQYLFWHG RI D IHORQ\ ´ MCL 28.425b(7)(f). Thus, it must be determined whether a person who has had his or her felony conviction set aside by order of a Michigan court is properly considered “never” to have been convicted of a felony for purposes of the CPLA. 7KH /HJLVODWXUH KDV DGGUHVVHG WKLV TXHVWLRQ LQ WKH 6HW $VLGH /DZ 3$ DV DPHQGHG 0&/ et seq . Under section 1 of this law, courts are empowered to set aside the conviction of a person for certain criminal offenses, provided that WKH SHUVRQ KDV EHHQ FRQYLFWHG RQO\ RQFH ¿YH \HDUV KDYH H[SLUHG VLQFH WKH GDWH VHQWHQFLQJ ZDV LPSRVHG RU WKH WHUP RI LPSULV RQPHQW ZDV FRPSOHWHG ZKLFKHYHU LV ODWHU DQG WKH DSSOLFDQW VDWLV¿HV WKH RWKHU UHTXLUHPHQWV RI WKH DFW 0&/ 7KH FRXUW may not enter its order setting aside the conviction unless it determines that the circumstances and behavior of the applicant VLQFH KLV RU KHU FRQYLFWLRQ ZDUUDQW VHWWLQJ LW DVLGH DQG WKDW VXFK DQ RUGHU ³LV FRQVLVWHQW ZLWK WKH SXEOLF ZHOIDUH ´ 0&/ 2QFH HQWHUHG WKH HIIHFW RI D FRXUW RUGHU VHWWLQJ DVLGH D FRQYLFWLRQ LV SODLQO\ VWDWHG LQ VHFWLRQ RI WKH 6HW $VLGH /DZ Upon the entry of an order pursuant to section 1, the applicant, for purposes of the law, shall be considered not to have been previously convicted H[FHSW DV SURYLGHG LQ WKLV VHFWLRQ > @ DQG VHFWLRQ >0&/ emphasis added @ 7KXV XQOHVV RQH RI WKH H[FHSWLRQV VWDWHG LQ VHFWLRQ RU RI WKH 6HW $VLGH /DZ DSSOLHV IRU OLFHQVLQJ SXUSRVHV XQGHU WKH CPLA, the effect of section 2 is clear and unmistakable and must be given effect. Storey v Meijer Inc 0LFK 1: G 1RQH RI WKH H[FHSWLRQV VHW RXW LQ VHFWLRQ LPSOLFDWH WKH &3/$ 7KXV WKH DQVZHU WR WKH TXHVWLRQ WXUQV RQ DQ DQDO\VLV RI section 3. Subsection 1 of section 3 requires the court to send a copy of an order setting aside a conviction to the arresting agency and the Department of State Police. Subsection 2 then describes certain obligations of the State Police regarding that order and VWULFWO\ OLPLWV WKH SHUVRQV RU HQWLWLHV ZKR PD\ KDYH DFFHVV WR WKDW RUGHU DQG WKH SXUSRVHV IRU ZKLFK VXFK DQ RUGHU PD\ EH XVHG (2) The department of state police shall retain a nonpublic record of the order setting aside a conviction and of the UHFRUG RI WKH DUUHVW ¿QJHUSULQWV FRQYLFWLRQ DQG VHQWHQFH RI WKH DSSOLFDQW LQ WKH FDVH WR ZKLFK WKH RUGHU DSSOLHV ([FHSW DV SURYLGHG LQ VXEVHFWLRQ 1 this nonpublic record shall be made available only to a court of competent Department of State Police 714 South Harrison Road East Lansing, MI 48823

1 Subsection (3), which permits a person whose conviction was set aside to obtain a copy of the nonpublic record upon payment of a fee, is not impacted here and need not be discussed.

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