CRIMINAL DEFENSE IN KIRKWOOD MISSOURI
A criminal charge in Kirkwood Missouri should not be taken lightly. Aside from some very limited circumstances, a criminal conviction will stay on your permanent record forever (hence the use of the word “permanent”). As a result, you will most certainly want to hire a good, experienced Kirkwood MO criminal defense attorney to represent your rights and interests.
The unfortunate reality, however, is that the vast majority of people do not ever reach out to a defense lawyer for help. Instead, they choose the opposite route, and show up to court by themselves. But self-representation almost always ends up with the same result (and it’s not anything good).
For example, let’s imagine for a moment that you have taken a bad fall, and you end up breaking your arm. In this kind of situation, would you think to yourself, “Oh well, I guess I’ll just see what happens. Because I’m definitely not going to the doctor!” Of course not. You would pay a visit to the emergency room, and ask for assistance in setting the bone and receiving pain killers.
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But for whatever reason, most people do not view their legal interests in the same way. More often than not, people charged with crimes in Kirkwood (and all over the state of Missouri) serve as their own attorneys. And nine times out of ten, these folks end up pleading guilty.
Why do they end up pleading guilty? Because when you do not have a legal background or a firm understanding of how the criminal justice system works, then you put yourself in a difficult bind. Faced with limited options, a self-represented defendant often believes that the only solution is to admit guilt, and see how things play out.
Although the court will be more than happy to accept your guilty plea, there are several things that the judge or prosecutor will not tell you. Namely, a guilty plea will turn into a criminal conviction on your permanent record. How will this negatively impact you? Below is a list of some examples of how this decision will affect nearly every aspect of your future.
- Is there a chance you will be applying for a job? If so, then you should be made aware of the fact that most employers run criminal background checks on all prospective employees. If you have a criminal conviction on your permanent record, there will be a very high likelihood that the job will not be offered to you (even if you are perfectly qualified for the position).
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- Do you plan on renting an apartment (or leasing some other piece of real estate)? Because most landlords will run the same kind of background check on rental applicants. If you have a criminal history, then there is a low chance you will get the apartment (even if your income is sufficient to cover the monthly costs). And this is especially true for those who are trying to secure public housing. There are very stiff rules for folks wanting to get housing of this kind, and criminal background will not help at all.
- Will you be pursuing an education or business loan in the future? Increasingly, a great many financial institutions are running background checks on people who wish to take out a loan. This can obviously impact your future plans, whether it is starting a business or furthering your education.
So what can The People’s Counsel do for you instead? How can our Kirkwood Missouri criminal defense attorneys help you? First and foremost, our goal will be to either eliminate or greatly reduce all of the negativity described above! Our team will defend your Constitutional rights, and fight back against the charges leveled against you.
One of the first things our team will do (upon being hired) will be to determine if there is an opportunity to get the charge(s) dismissed. For example, let’s say you have been charged with possession of drug paraphernalia during a routine traffic stop. During your interaction with the police, the officer “found” the paraphernalia in a way that violated your Constitutional rights. This set of facts might lead to a dismissal.
If a dismissal is not available, there are other options. Often, we are able to get the charges reduced to a lesser infraction. A lesser infraction (such as “Littering”) will not show up on your permanent record. And depending on the facts of your case, our legal team might also be able to convince the judge that you should be placed on probation (instead of serving any jail time or paying any fine). The probationary period usually runs between one and two years in length. And so long as you make it through this period without being charged with something else, the original charge will not appear on your record.
As you can see, there are in fact many options available to you (other than simply pleading guilty)! And all you have to do is give us a call. Our team will collect all the details and evidence necessary to defend your rights, and get you the best result possible. We look forward to hearing from you!!