FOR ALL YOUR CRIMINAL DEFENSE NEEDS, THE PEOPLE’S COUNSEL IS HERE TO HELP!
At The People’s Counsel, we specialize in defending and protecting the rights of citizens who have been charged with a crime in Manchester Missouri. Our legal team of criminal defense lawyers have more than ten (10) years of experience in this area, and we would be more than happy to assist in your time of need.
When we are hired, our goal is to immediately learn every aspect of the charge(s) leveled against you. This would include any and all evidence that might be relevant (along with any material that the prosecutor has used to charge you, which would likely be in the form of the police report and all physical evidence the court might have on your case).
Once our Manchester Missouri criminal defense attorneys have had a chance to review the evidence, there might be an opportunity for our team to demand that the charges be dismissed. A dismissal might result in several different scenarios, but there is one example in particular that tends to occur with greater frequency – when the police perform an unlawful search and/or seizure of your person (or personal items).
MANCHESTER MISSOURI CRIMINAL DEFENSE
The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution makes it illegal for a governmental official to search or seize anything (unless a specific set of circumstances exist that allow a police officer to make a lawful search or seizure). If the police officer did not follow the very strict standards set forth by the US Supreme Court, and proceeding to conduct him/herself in a manner that violated your rights, then our legal team will be in a good position to have the charges dismissed.
Although most Manchester MO criminal defense attorneys are familiar with the 4th Amendment (and all of the rules that prevent the police from performing illegal searches and/or seizures), not all defense attorneys are willing to put in the necessary work to fully protect your rights. Because in order to determine if a violation has occurred, it requires a good deal of time and patience. And like most people, a lot of lawyers are more than willing to cut corners, and provide subpar services.
But not at The People’s Counsel! Even if we cannot get the criminal charges dropped, our team will work closely with the local prosecutor on a “plea bargain.” This is basically a deal that is negotiated between our lawyers and the prosecutor in which you are no longer charged with a misdemeanor crime. Instead, you would agree to “plead guilty” to a lesser offense, such as ‘littering’.
DON’T SACRIFICE YOUR FREEDOMS! YOU HAVE RIGHTS, AND WE WANT TO HELP PROTECT THEM
Everyone would of course recognize that you did not throw trash on the ground. But such a deal works to the benefit of both you and the court. On the one hand, you would not be pleading guilty to a misdemeanor crime (which would stay on your permanent record like luggage); but the prosecutor gets to claim victory as well, because pleading guilty to a minor infraction like ‘littering’ allows the court to assess a fine (which is one of the primary sources of revenue for a municipality such as Manchester Missouri).
What if we are unable to work out a plea bargain with the prosecutor? It is true that, for one reason or another, the prosecutor may not be willing to cut a deal. If that kind of situation exists, we would likely convince the judge that you should be placed on probation. Instead of you serving any jail time or paying a large fine, this sort of sentence would be deferred. This is referred to as an “SIS” (or Suspended Imposition of Sentence). And assuming you make it through the probationary period (which would last between one to two years in length), and not get into any other scrapes with the law during this time, then the original misdemeanor charge would not show up on your permanent record.
But the last thing you want to do is serve as your own attorney when charged with a crime. Why? Because self-represented individuals almost always do nothing more than plead guilty to the original charge (mainly because they have no idea that there might be a different option). And this is exactly why it is so very important to hire a good Manchester Missouri criminal defense to stand by your side.
All you have to do is give us a call! From the moment we are hired, we will do everything in our power to defend your rights and interests. We look forward to hearing from you!!