Your defense on violent crime charges is one of the only things that you can control. You must think about the case against you and work on a defense that is geared toward your goal.
Guilty or not
If you know that you committed the crime, your focus might be to try to keep the penalties that you are facing as minor as possible. If you didn't do anything wrong, your goal will likely be trying to prove your innocence. In both cases, coming up with a customized defense is crucial.
Plan carefully
You have to think about each option carefully. At first glance, you might be pulled toward a certain option. Don't let this cloud your judgment. You need to think about how the options will affect your life. Think about how the option might play a part in your life now and in 20 years. This puts things into perspective.
We know that all of this might seem a bit overwhelming, but it is all necessary when you are trying to create a customized defense plan. You need to work hard because the prosecution isn't likely going to take it easy on you. Instead, they are going to try to push your case through to show that what you were accused of doing isn't at all acceptable.
]]>This might not be the best idea. Police officers don't take these matters lightly because they are working hard to keep other motorists on the road safe. Make sure that you don't try to poke fun at the traffic stop by doing any of the following.
Don't act like you don't know basic facts
You will likely be asked to say the alphabet or count. Don't pretend like you don't know these facts. Not being able to count or say your ABCs are signs that you are inebriated.
Don't try to get fancy with your movements
Police officers are trying to watch for basic signs of intoxication when they have you do the field sobriety tests. This means that you shouldn't try to exaggerate your movements or try to do anything out of the ordinary as those types of movements might be construed as signs of intoxication.
Don't try to run or fall
Running from the police officers will likely be seen as an effort to flee the scene. Not being able to stand up straight will be viewed as a sign that you are too drunk to stand. In both of these cases, you would almost certainly guarantee a trip to the county jail.
All of the things you do during the traffic stop can impact your defense. Be sure that you aren't sabotaging your defense before you are even handcuffed.
Source: FindLaw, "DUI Stops: What Not to Do During Field Sobriety Tests," Christopher Coble, Esq., accessed April 21, 2017
]]>That said, no college student wants anything to happen that puts the chance of obtaining a student loan at risk. Several types of incidents might, however, including a conviction in a criminal court on drug charges. It's no secret drug-related offenses rank high on the list of common reasons college students get arrested.
Possible explanations why police make so many drug arrests
Some say the government and law enforcement agencies should concentrate more effort on solving serious crimes, such as those involving murders or robberies. Even so, several possible reasons for so many drug arrests in this state and others include the following:
You might not realize that a drug crime conviction typically makes you ineligible to receive student loans. In fact, this represents yet another reason to support the opinions of those who decry authorities' apparent focus on drug crimes since a person convicted for smoking marijuana can't get a student loan, but someone who commits an obviously more serious offense such as robbery or murder can.
The last thing you need while you're attending college at High Point University or another North Carolina school is to call home, informing your parents that you're in trouble with the law and facing drug charges. However, if this describes your current situation, you certainly aren't the first person to experience this. Many other students before you successfully avoided conviction and rectified their situations by obtaining aggressive criminal defense assistance. When you make your phone call home, you can discuss this important topic.
]]>There is a series of events that starts when a car accident occurs. In some cases, the car accident is the proverbial nail in the coffin of the criminal defense case. The circumstances of the crash can come into the picture during the case. You will need to explore what factors the prosecution is looking into using in the case against you.
When a car accident occurs, the crash itself might be the probable cause the officer needs to request a blood alcohol concentration test. This means that you might not have the option of calling probable cause into question when you are defending yourself against the charges.
Drunk driving crashes can sometimes lead to additional charges. These can sometimes be even more difficult to defend against than the drunk driving charge. For this reason, you should get moving on the defense right away.
You need to have ample time to look into the circumstances of the case so that you know what points you need to focus on. There is also a chance that you might face a civil lawsuit in connection with the crash. This can have devastating results because anyone who was injured in the crash might turn to you for compensation.
Source: FindLaw, "Drunk Driving Accidents," accessed April 14, 2017
]]>There are many different types of traffic violations that you might have to face. Many of these come with the option of just paying a fine or heading to court. If you opt to pay the fine, you are admitting guilt. These traffic violations can lead to a mark on your driving record.
A mark on your driving record can mean that you have to pay a higher insurance premium. This can be devastating because it is a long-term consequence that you will have to live with for a while. The type of traffic violation can have an impact on this because some violations are considered more serious than others.
We want you to think about how your options can impact your life right now and how each option might have an impact on your future. No matter what, you have to make decisions based on what you feel is the best option for your life.
We understand that this isn't always an easy situation to be placed in. Your defense strategy should answer the points made in the case against you. We can help you to determine which points you should address and find ways to do just that.
]]>The defense strategy that you choose can have more than one element. In fact, the more points we can address on your behalf, the better prepared your defense might be. The important thing is that your defense is based on the circumstances of your case.
We understand that you might be worried about how your case will end. In order to help minimize your stress over this, we can discuss the possibilities with you. We can help you to understand how various defense options might impact those possibilities.
You need to think about your entire case and not just specific components of it. It is all too easy to focus on how you can get the easiest sentence possible, but this doesn't take your future into account. What is the easiest now might have a serious impact on your life in the future.
As hard as it is to remain objective about the options that you are presented with during your drug case, it is imperative that you try to do so so that you can think carefully about how each option might affect your life. As you go over each option, you can let us know what you think about it. We can use this information to determine what possibilities we need to pursue.
]]>There are many items that are considered drug paraphernalia. These include digital scales, small baggies, crack pipes and similar items. It is possible that a person can face drug paraphernalia charges for items that are normally used for household usage. The circumstances of the drug paraphernalia are considered in these cases. In some cases, the key to the case might be drug residue that is left behind on the paraphernalia.
Think about a digital scale. You might use that scale for use in the kitchen to weigh out portions. Drug dealers use those scales to portion out drugs. In this case, if other items associated with drugs are found in the proximity of the paraphernalia can have an impact on whether you face charges or not. For example, a razor blade and baggies near the digital scale can indicate the scale is being used for drugs.
When you are facing drug paraphernalia charges, you have to take those charges seriously. You have to weigh the options that you have for dealing with the charges. These can differ considerably depending on what charges you are facing. State level charges are different than federal charges. Each case has to be handled in accordance with the policies of the specific court in mind.
Source: National Drug Intelligence Center, "Drug Paraphernalia Fast Facts," accessed March 24, 2017
]]>If you are currently facing charges involving underage drinking and driving, you would be wise to take quick action to protect your rights. Securing the assistance of an attorney who can help you effectively confront these charges may be a wise move.
Zero tolerance in North Carolina
North Carolina's Zero Tolerance Law makes it illegal for a person under the age of 21 to drive after consuming any amount of drugs or alcohol. If law enforcement finds any discernable amount of alcohol, that is a BAC of anything over .00, in the system of a driver under the age of 21, the penalties could include temporary loss of license, increased insurance premiums and much more.
A conviction for underage drinking and driving can bring serious penalties, which include:
Any combination of these penalties can signal significant negative consequences in other areas of life. Underage drinking is not only a criminal matter, it can also have an impact on a person's social and educational life as well. A conviction for underage drinking and driving could mean the following:
Your future is valuable. It is too important to leave to chance, so, if you are facing criminal charges, you would be wise to learn about your defense options immediately.
Confront the charges against you
Some people wrongfully assume that it is not possible to fight an underage drunk driving charge, and, therefore, it is best to simply plead guilty and deal with the consequences. In reality, it is possible to effectively confront these charges by challenging the circumstances of the traffic stop, the results of the breath test and more. The right defense strategy for you depends on the individual circumstances of your unique case and your legal objectives.
]]>You can opt to plead guilty or not guilty to the charge. If you are considering a guilty plea, you should find out if a plea deal is in the cards for your case. Plea deals give you control over the outcome of your case, but not total control.
You might be able to get a lesser sentence through a plea deal. This might not have any impact on administrative penalties. And, plea deals can't do anything with mandatory minimum sentences that apply in cases. This is why you should pay close attention to the terms of any plea deal you are offered.
Plea deals are possible at various stages of the criminal justice process. This is the case up until a trial. Because plea deals often involve a back and forth, you should ideally approach the idea as early in the process as possible so you have time for the negotiations.
If you want a plea deal, you should let your attorney know. Oftentimes, prosecutors will work with individuals who have an attorney, but they might be leery of working with an individual. Of course, you should remember that this only one option that you have to resolve your case.
Source: FindLaw, "DUI Plea Bargains," accessed March 17, 2017
]]>We know that you might not be certain what your options are for battling the charges. We are here to help you explore all of the available options -- from plea deals to trial preparation.
Even when a defendant opts to pursue options for resolving the case like plea deals, we still remember that we might need to prepare for trial. This helps us to ensure that we are ready for the trial if your case comes to that. We certainly don't want your case to go to trial with us unprepared.
If you are willing to consider other options of resolution for your case, we will go over those with you. In some cases, the prosecution might be willing to entertain a plea deal. In this case, you should consider the specific points of the plea deal to determine if you are willing to agree to the terms.
We understand that your freedom is important to you. While we can't guarantee the ultimate outcome of the case, we can provide you with the representation you need to try to fight the charges. If you are found not guilty, you might be able to slowly address the societal impacts of the initial violent crime charge.
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