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Felony Record

dhouseholder

Registered User
Kyle, i think you bit on a post that had no business being here. Religion has not entered this conversation, nor does it have any bearing here. The brother above posted that he is a felon and he is a very active Mason that does good things.
 

rmcgehee

Registered User
This thread seems to have taken on a life of it's own.
If an applicicant lies on his application says he has no felony and does,he should be gone.
If he does not lie,says he is a felon,application should be withdrawn.
If he was made a MM and then became a felon he should demit and leave.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
If an applicicant lies on his application says he has no felony and does,he should be gone.

If he was made a MM and then became a felon he should demit and leave.

In either case suspension/expulsion is automatic. (Art. 506)
 

rmcgehee

Registered User
This ballot box should be used if need be however it should never get that far.
This came up in my Lodge last year.A real mess.
The man did not lieon app.was voted in anyway.A few years later affiliated with another Lodge and it was found out.
See where this is going.
This is why our GL got involved and now does background checks.
If the do not pass,it never goes further.
 
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rmcgehee

Registered User
Just explaining how letting a felon in can blow up in your face and cause problems
between Lodges if due diligence is not taken.
It is better if you do not have to deal with it.
Neff said.
 

Michael Neumann

Premium Member
The GLoT petition asks specifically if a candidate has been CHARGED(not even convinced but just CHARGED) with a felony or misdemeanor INVOLVING moral turpitude.

Moral Turpitude - A phrase used in Criminal Law to describe conduct that is considered contrary to community standards of justice, honesty, or good morals.

Crimes involving moral turpitude have an inherent quality of baseness, vileness, or depravity with respect to a person's duty to another or to society in general. Examples include rape, forgery, Robbery, and solicitation by prostitutes.
Moral Turpitude is the essence of determining a man's right to the lights and benefits of our craft. There are too many senseless convictions to draw a line at the word felony, it must be investigated. Anyone who relies on a single word to determine the value of a man is short sighted and missing the point of our craft.

Michael Neumann
Killeen, TX 1125
South Carolina Commandery No.1, K.T.
 

BryanMaloney

Premium Member
As someone who has had to work in places that used a "metric" to evaluate performance, I know very much that the "metric" will get trimmed down to the simplest possible interpretation and then used very mechanistically. That's just how people are.
 

K.S.

Registered User
If a 2 time murderer "accepts Christ into his life", is he not still a murderer?

I don't know why "accepting Christ" seems to be the big eraser of bad deeds. I've seen a few people accept Christ in their life after a life of crime and mayhem, to suit them as needed, and go back to being a social black mark on society, just to "accept Christ" again later and it's all ok.

One black cube...coming up!
 

BryanMaloney

Premium Member
Given that I'm about as far from being Evangelical in my practices as can be imagined for a Christian, that whole "accepting Christ" thing doesn't wash with my Church. It's a process for us. But "felony" is not identical to "murder". Indeed, the difference between "misdemeanor" or "infraction" vs. "felony" can be a mere dollar amount.
 

Traveling Man

Premium Member
We both know there are plenty of unjust laws.
To change the subject slightly, what if you were convicted of a felony in another country? Would that make someone ineligible to be made a Mason in Texas?

Would you care to cite some "unjust laws" involving felonies that include "moral turpitude"?

If the conviction involved a felony of moral turpitude it would certainly be examined.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
Brethren- just to keep things straight, the phrase "involving moral turpitude" applies only to misdemeanor offenses. A conviction for ANY felony, whether it involves moral turpitude or not, is an automatic disqualifier.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
A brother who is an attorney brought up a felony dealing with handicapped parking tags . Apparently if a mason who's vehicle has those tags lends his vehicle to his grandson who is pulled over, both are guilty of a felony.

Bro. Prejean, could you please ask that Brother to provide the cite for that statement for me? Thanks in advance.
 

jwhoff

Premium Member
Yes, that issue was presented and voted upon at Grand Lodge last year. It is now part of Art. 393 as quoted above. All that being said, I cannot speak as to your mental state. :lol:


Bro. Benton ... I'd say that's fairly close to breaking the skin.

:39:
 

jwhoff

Premium Member
But is this a rational thing? We both know there are plenty of unjust laws.

Now, I know that Michael Hatley brings up the valuable fact that most minor felonies get reduced, and that makes up for a little bit.

To change the subject slightly, what if you were convicted of a felony in another country? Would that make someone ineligible to be made a Mason in Texas?

Yes! Texas, UK, South America, any place where international laws hold.
 

Brent Heilman

Premium Member
From legal dictionary:
felony
n. 1) a crime sufficiently serious to be punishable by death or a term in state or federal prison, as distinguished from a misdemeanor which is only punishable by confinement to county or local jail and/or a fine. 2) a crime carrying a minimum term of one year or more in state prison, since a year or less can be served in county jail. However, a sentence upon conviction for a felony may sometimes be less than one year at the discretion of the judge and within limits set by statute. Felonies are sometimes referred to as "high crimes" as described in the U.S. Constitution.

moral turpitude

n. gross violation of standards of moral conduct, vileness. An act involving moral turpitude is considered intentionally evil, making the act a crime. The existence of moral turpitude can bring a more severe criminal charge or penalty for a criminal defendant.



From my reading of 6 pages of this thread the crux of the argument seems to be what is a felony? There is the definition above and from what I read I would have to say no. Our laws state that no felon will be permitted to receive the degrees. No matter what I may feel is right or wrong I am bound as a Mason to uphold those laws of our Grand Lodge and as such cannot vote for a convicted felon or allow a petition given out to one. Just my thoughts.
 

jvarnell

Premium Member
From legal dictionary:
felony
n. 1) a crime sufficiently serious to be punishable by death or a term in state or federal prison, as distinguished from a misdemeanor which is only punishable by confinement to county or local jail and/or a fine. 2) a crime carrying a minimum term of one year or more in state prison, since a year or less can be served in county jail. However, a sentence upon conviction for a felony may sometimes be less than one year at the discretion of the judge and within limits set by statute. Felonies are sometimes referred to as "high crimes" as described in the U.S. Constitution.
I hate to jump back into this but the above points one thing out about a felony. The part "term in state or federal prison" is in the definition and any thing that you are convicted of that takes place in a Fedral building or Fedral park can send you to a fedral prison for as little as a week. If you are a CHL holder and go into the earl campbell federal building downtown dallas and forget you have your gun in your briefcase you have a chance depending on the judge and jury of going to a minimum security prision for a week and it is called a Felony. And don't try to minimize what I have said by your disbelief go and do a lexisnexis search (will cost you money). The prosecutor will have to prove intent by the CHL holder to get a conviction but I beleive your search will come up with some hits.
 

rmcgehee

Registered User
What ever state I live in and I knew an applicate was a Felon(whatever definition you what to use) I would object and or "black ball" him.
 
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