THE PEOPLE’S COUNSEL IS YOUR #1 CHOICE FOR O’FALLON MISSOURI CRIMINAL DEFENSE
When a criminal charge is issued in O’Fallon MO, your best move is to contact The People’s Counsel. Our team of expert O’Fallon Missouri criminal defense lawyers will handle your case with professional care, and over two decades of legal experience.
There are many different misdemeanor crimes that the prosecutor can charge you with. It can range from possession of marijuana, to trespassing, to disturbing the peace, to assault. Each year, hundreds and hundreds of people are issued summons to appear in O’Fallon Municipal Court. And without fail, hundreds of those same individuals show up to court without an O’Fallon MO criminal defense lawyer.
Why would someone choose to walk into court alone? Why would they risk their freedom and future on such an incredibly important moment in their lives?
These are questions that the Criminal Justice System has been trying to answer for decades. But many people incorrectly believe that being charged with a misdemeanor will have any real negative effect on their lives. They assume that being issued a summons on a trespassing charge is no big deal.
OUR TEAM WILL DEFEND YOUR RIGHTS TO THE FULLEST
This approach is a mistake! And it is precisely why the vast majority of people end up pleading guilty. They incorrectly believe that there is no alternative, and the only choice available is to admit guilt. But what if there was another route you could take? What if there was a path you could take that did not lead to a guilty plea?
At The People’s Counsel, our goal is to make sure that your Constitutional rights and liberties are protected. Because when you are facing criminal charges in O’Fallon Missouri, you only want the best criminal defense attorney representing you.
Once we’ve been retained, our first step in the process will be to let the court know that we are representing you. This is an important step, because you will no longer have to worry about communicating with the judge, prosecutor, or clerk (we will be doing that on your behalf).
Based on the facts of your case, it may be possible for our O’Fallon Missouri criminal defense attorneys to get the charges dropped. This can occur if/when the police officer (who issued the original citation) mishandled evidence, or conducted a search improperly, or any number of other things that could potentially defeat the charge(s). If such a set of facts exists, then our attorneys will waste little time in pointing it out to the prosecutor, and hopefully resolve your case quickly.
Of course, not every criminal charge is easily dismissed. Sometimes there is a negotiation between our criminal defense team and the local prosecutor. This is referred to as a “plea bargain,” and it basically involves the prosecutor agreeing to amend the charge(s) so that you will no longer be facing a misdemeanor. Instead, the charge(s) is reduced to a lesser infraction, such as “littering” (which will not show up on your permanent record).
O’FALLON MO CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER
There may also be a chance to convince the judge to suspend any jail time or payment of a fine. In the Missouri Court system, this is called an “SIS” (Suspended Imposition of Sentence). So for example, let’s say you have been charged with assault. This is a misdemeanor charge that can come with a jail sentence and a large fine. But if the judge agrees to an SIS, you will not have to do any jail time, or pay any fine. Instead, you will be placed on probation. The length of the probationary period can run between one to two years in length. However, if you successfully get through the period of probation without incurring any new charges, then the original charge of assault will drop off (as if it never happened).
The final option would be to take your case to trial. And if it comes to that, our O’Fallon MO criminal defense team is ready! Although it is true that 99% of all criminal cases are resolved long before a trial happens, we always recognize that the possibility exists. This means that we will continue to gather evidence and information throughout the entire process, and make the prosecutor’s job as difficult as possible.
Again, the alternative is you walking into court alone. With no help or assistance. And as mentioned above, most people end up pleading guilty when they are unrepresented. But that plea of guilt will turn into a criminal conviction on your permanent record. So anytime you go to apply for a job, the employer will see it (after running a criminal background check). Anytime you go to rent an apartment, the landlord will see it. And sometimes, even when you try to take out a student or business loan from a financial institution, a background check is run.
In each of these scenarios, there is a very strong likelihood that you will be turned down on the job, or your rental application will be rejected, or your paperwork to take out a loan will be denied.
Would you rather avoid that kind of outcome? Then please do give us a call! Our team is ready to hear from you. But getting in touch with us sooner rather than later is much more advantageous. The more time we have to prepare for your case, the better chance we have securing a good result!