Virginia Lags in Restoration of Felons' Civic Rights

Convicted felons in Virginia who want their rights back must petition the governor in what can be a lengthy process. Once they are out of prison and off probation, there's a waiting period of three years for nonviolent offenders and five years for violent offenders and drug dealers.Although the governor has the power to restore most civil rights, felons still are prohibited from owning a gun. Once someone has his other rights restored by the governor, he can ask a circuit court judge for permission to have a gun. Restoring the rights of felons is left to the sole discretion of the governor, and the number of such actions has varied widely from administration to administration. Click link below to learn more about this story: http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/218048