MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Elected as the 47th President of the United States, President-elect Donald Trump will be the first to bring a criminal conviction to the White House.
Many Memphians who are re-entering are now questioning their rights and how this may affect them. They have contacted WREG with questions.
We took these questions to DeAndre Brown, director of Shelby County Office of Re-Entry.
“I think the United States has a unique opportunity now with the election of Donald Trump, to have a real conversation about what America wants to look like, how we want to treat all of our citizens,” Brown said.
Why is Trump allowed to vote in Florida after conviction?
Trump also voted in Florida on Election Day despite a felony conviction in New York. In Trump’s case, Florida law allowed him to vote because his convictions would not have prevented him from voting in New York.
Brown says he was all too familiar with Tennessee’s laws before was pardoned by Gov. Bill Lee last December.
“It’s very frustrating when you think about, you don’t have the ability to voice your opinion, about how your kids are being treated at school, how your tax dollars are being spent,” Brown said. “You act like you’re human and you pay taxes, but you can’t be represented when the system works against you.”
Trump has big plans for “day one” on immigration, energy and more
As history unfolds in the White House, Brown says change may be on the way.
“I really think we have an opportunity now to use as an example to say that even though a person may have a criminal history, that doesn’t make them a bad person,” he said.
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