CRIMINAL DEFENSE SPECIALISTS IN BRENTWOOD MISSOURI
If you’ve ever spent an evening at the Brentwood Municipal Court, then you probably would have noticed that the vast majority of folks were sitting by themselves. This is because only a very small number of people charged with a crime ever get in touch with a Brentwood, MO criminal defense lawyer. Why? There are several reasons for this, which we will address below:
- Many people assume that the fees charged by a legal professional will be far outside their budget. And if you believe that something is too expensive, we have a tendency to go forward alone (regardless of what the consequences might be). But at The People’s Counsel, our philosophy is very different from most traditional law firms. To begin with, our firm offers payment plans that you can enter into (which can be very helpful for those clients who are not able to come up with the necessary fees upfront).
In addition, your particular criminal charge may not necessarily require the services of our most experienced, talented Brentwood Missouri criminal defense attorney. In reality, it could very well be that your charge(s) can be handled by one of our lawyers whose expertise lies in misdemeanor crimes, and therefore charges a much cheaper rate for criminal defense services. This graduated system of charging fees distinguishes our firm from most others in the Greater St Louis area (because more often than not, when you call a law firm, they assign you a lawyer who charges the same, regardless of how straightforward your particular case might be).
BRENTWOOD MISSOURI CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER
- A lot of people believe that being charged with a misdemeanor crime is similar to that of a regular traffic ticket. As a result of this belief, folks will view the charge as “no big deal.” This is a tremendous mistake! Because if you walk into court by yourself (without the aid of an experienced Brentwood MO criminal defense lawyer), the court will treat you as if you are an attorney. Why? Because although you have the right to represent yourself, the judge will not give you any leeway just because you haven’t gone to law school (or that you lack a basic understanding of the rules, regulations, and laws that govern the criminal justice system). Instead, the judge and prosecutor will expect you to present your defense in the same professional manner as a license attorney.
Guess how well that turns out for most folks? Can you imagine strolling into the emergency room with a broken leg, and telling the staff physician, “Hey this is really no big deal! So I’m just gonna over here and make use of your machinery, administer pain meds to myself, set the bone, and put on a cast.” No, of course not! You would recognize the perilous situation you’re currently in, and seek out help from trained medical professionals.
But when it comes to legal matters, people assume that they will do just fine alone. And this is exactly why you typically see courtrooms full of people who do not have any attorney with them (as mentioned at the very beginning of this article). This is also why the vast majority of unrepresented defendants end up pleading guilty to the charges leveled against them. And when you admit guilt, it becomes a part of your permanent record (as a criminal conviction). This will have an incredibly negative impact on your ability to do basic things in the future. Because almost every time you apply for a job, or rent an apartment, or take out a business / student loan, a simple criminal background check will be run (and the chances will be high that the employer, landlord, or financial institution will reject your application).
The good news is that you can avoid all of these negative consequences by reaching out to us at The People’s Counsel! Once we are hired, we will let the court know that our legal team is on the case, and get to work on your case immediately.
If we are unable to get the charges dismissed (which can often occur after we take a very close look at the particular facts of your case), we will work closely with the local prosecutor to see about hammering out a “plea bargain” in which you plead guilty to a lesser offense (instead of the original misdemeanor charge). For instance, if you have been charged with trespassing (which is a misdemeanor that can come with potential jail time and a large fine), we might be able to work out a deal in which you plead to something like “littering” (which is minor infraction that will not go on your permanent record).
So please do get in touch with us as soon as possible. Our team is eager to hear from you!