As a young man, Malcolm X was convicted in 1946 of larceny and breaking and entering. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison but got out after completing 6. He converted to Islam and became one of the most prominent Civil Rights activists of the 1960s, whose name is often mentioned alongside Martin Luther King, Jr.
A felony conviction is a mark on a person’s record that can follow them for life, often preventing them from building a successful career and a respectable life. That’s not always the case, though. If you’re rich and famous, you might just be able to bounce back from a felony conviction to become more successful than ever.
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- Felonies are the most serious types of crimes and can carry heavy fines, prison terms, or even the death penalty.
- People who are popular and who make contributions to society are sometimes forgiven by the public for their past mistakes.
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What Are Felonies?
Felonies are the most serious crimes and they can occur as violations of state or federal laws. The main types of felonies are violent crimes like murder, rape, or robbery; property crimes like burglary or arson; major drug offenses; and financial crimes like fraud, tax evasion, or money laundering. Felonies can carry prison sentences from a year all the way to life or the death penalty. The more severe penalties are reserved for the worst crimes and for repeat offenders.
Why Do People Forgive Some Felons?
In many states felons lose the right to vote and have a great deal of difficulty getting hired. Other times, however, the public seems very willing to forgive people for serious crimes, even if the legal system does not. A popular celebrity or politician will often find their supporters stand by them and may find it difficult to believe the charges against them. In other cases, as time passes after a person’s conviction, many people are willing to forgive it as a past mistake the person has paid their dues for. Sometimes a person with a felony record goes on to make valuable contributions to society, like starting a business or doing humanitarian service that improves the community. These people are sometimes considered to have redeemed themselves for their past mistakes.
Next up, some of the most noteworthy felony bounce-back stories.
Tim Allen
In 1978, Tim Allen was convicted of drug trafficking because he was in possession of more than 1.4 pounds of cocaine. He served a reduced sentence of 2 years from 1979-1981. That didn’t stop him from success as a comedian and actor, famous for roles in the t.v. series Home Improvement, and as a voice actor in Toy Story.
Robert Downey Jr.
Actor Robert Downey Jr. was convicted of felony drug possession and probation violations in 1999 and served a year in prison. That didn’t stop him from getting sober and becoming one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors in the role of Iron Man in a series of movies based on Marvel comic book characters.
JAY-Z
Jay-Z pled guilty to stabbing a record executive at a nightclub but only served three years of probation. His business ventures have made him into one of the wealthiest musicians in the world with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion.
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes became a household name with his acclaimed acting roles in the “Blade” vampire movies, “White Men Can’t Jump,” and other films. He spent 3 years in prison for tax evasion from 2010-13, but bounced back to more successful film roles such as “The Expendables 3” and “Coming 2 America.”
Martha Stewart
In 2004 Martha Stewart was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction, and perjury related to insider stock trading. Her sentence was 5 months in prison, 5 months of house arrest, and 2 years of probation. She completed her prison term and famously exited wearing a poncho she had knitted during her incarceration. Her brand and business ventures did not suffer as a result. In fact, she parlayed her newly “edgy” persona into a public friendship and business partnership with laid-back rapper Snoop Dogg—one of the quirkiest and most charming celebrity matchups imaginable. Ironically, Snoop himself has faced minor charges but has never been convicted of a felony.
Danny Trejo
Acclaimed actor Danny Trejo had to overcome the legacy of several felonies he committed as a young man. He served about 11 years in prison for crimes that included armed robbery and various drug offenses. He protected himself in prison by becoming a formidable boxer, winning several titles in the prison system but did not box professionally after his release. He did parlay his experience into popular “tough guy” roles in movies like “Machete” and “Desperado.”
Donald Trump
In May 2024, Donald Trump became the first former president in U.S. history to be convicted of a felony: 34 of them in fact. The charges stemmed from falsifying business documents to hide a $130,000 payment to his lawyer to conceal a hush-money payment to a porn star who alleged he had an affair with her. As of this writing, this trial has not yet moved to the conviction phase. Much of the public has not held Trump’s legal situation against him. He defeated Kamala Harris by a comfortable margin in the 2024 election and is due to begin his second term as president in January 2025.
In an interesting historical irony, the only other President to be elected to two non-consecutive terms was Grover Cleveland. Like Trump, Cleveland also was accused of having an affair and trying to cover it up. Reelected at a time of economic distress, the public was willing to overlook his actions as a youthful indiscretion, though he was in his 30s when the liaison occurred. Cleveland was the first Democrat who was elected president after the Civil War, and was more conservative than any president of that party since. His policies were business-friendly and he tried to limit big government and overseas entanglements.
Mike Tyson
Legendary heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was convicted of rape in 1992 and sentenced to six years in prison. He served only three before being released. After that, he returned to boxing, acting, and built a profitable cannabis business.
Mark Wahlberg
As a 16-year-old, Mark Wahlberg was a brawler who along with a group of friends, committed a racially motivated assault on two Vietnamese men in Boston, one of whom suffered permanent eye damage. Wahlberg was sentenced to 45 days in prison for assault and battery and has since expressed remorse for what he did. His professional success includes acting roles in “Boogie Nights,” “The Perfect Storm,” “Planet of the Apes,” “The Happening,” and “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” He also owns his own production company and the Wahlburgers chain of restaurants.
Malcolm X
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