In general, crimes are broken up into two categories. The first category is a misdemeanor. This is a minor offense, but even a minor offense can still have a significant impact on your life. The other category is a felony. A felony is a significant offense that could come with a lengthy prison sentence. A felony offense can change your life forever, and you need to know how to defend yourself against felony charges. You need to reach out to an experienced professional, such as the team from Gurion Legal, that can help you. Here’s what you need to know about felony charges, and how can you defend yourself adequately.
Felony Charges Have Much More Serious Penalties
The first thing that you need to know is that a felony charge typically comes with more serious penalties. For example, even if you have to go to jail following a misdemeanor conviction, you might never be transported to prison, as the sentences are typically shorter. On the other hand, it is not unusual for felony convictions to come with fines in the tens of thousands of dollars and prison sentences that are measured in decades instead of months. There are some situations where a felony conviction could cause you to be placed on a special list for the rest of your life, making it very difficult to get a job or find a place to live.
A Felony Conviction Could Strip You Of Your Right To Vote
Another significant punishment is that a felony conviction could strip you of your right to vote. Your right to vote is your voice in our republic, and if you are convicted of a felony, you might not be permitted to vote in the future. Even though you can apply to get your right to vote back, there is no guarantee that the legislature will give it to you. Therefore, it is better to avoid felony charges altogether, and you should reach out to an attorney early in the process who can fight for your rights.
There Are Defenses for Felony Charges
Even though a felony charge is always serious, there are defenses available. You need to reach out to an attorney who can review the evidence, file motions, and manage the case to put you in the best position possible to be successful. For example, a lawyer might be able to look at the evidence, talk to the district attorney, and negotiate a favorable plea deal that does not put a felony conviction on your record at all. Or, a lawyer may decide to request that the judge dismiss the charges altogether based on the evidence provided. If you want to form a strong defense against a felony charge, you need to reach out to an attorney who can assist you.
Rely on a Lawyer Who Can Help You
If you feel like someone is building a criminal case against you, you need to reach out to an attorney as quickly as possible. A lawyer can communicate with the police officers, detectives, and district attorneys involved, making sure they consider all of the facts regarding the situation. There are some situations where an attorney might be able to get your charges reduced to a misdemeanor, and there are some situations where they might be able to prevent charges from being filed at all. Even though you might think the facts of the case are on your side, you always need to reach out to a defense attorney as quickly as possible. That way, you can control the narrative, make sure your rights are protected, and form a strong defense.
