CRIMINAL DEFENSE IN ST PETERS MISSOURI
Seeking out help from an experienced St Peters Missouri criminal defense lawyer is the best route to take if you have been arrested and/or charged with a crime. Our legal team has handled hundreds of cases over the last ten (10) years, and we would be more than happy to assist you in your time of need.
Because let’s face it. Criminal charges are no laughing matter. And if you value your freedom and your future, then contacting us is the best move you could make!
At The People’s Counsel, we take pride in being St Peters Missouri’s #1 criminal defense team. We have earned that honor by working hard on each case to ensure the best outcome possible. To be perfectly honest, most attorneys take the path of least resistance when representing a client. In other words, lawyers want to take the fewest steps possible when handling your case. So if there are shortcuts to get you a decent result, the lawyer will generally take them. If there is a way to minimize the time spent on your case, the attorney will follow that path.
YOU HAVE RIGHTS! LET US HELP YOU IN THIS TIME OF GREAT NEED.
But that approach doesn’t really help when you need a focused, fully-engaged St Peters Missouri criminal defense lawyer to fight for your rights! And this is why we leave no stone unturned in getting you the best possible result. Our legal team will not stop until we have learned all the pertinent facts of your case, including talking to witnesses and gathering any evidence.
Once we have determined the best criminal defense strategy for your case, our attorneys will follow a straightforward process:
1. First, we will make it clear to the court that we are representing your interests. That will allow us to communicate directly with the prosecutor about the charges leveled against you, and to receive any evidence that the prosecutor might have. For most misdemeanor criminal cases in St Peters Missouri, that will be the police report (or surveillance photographs, or confiscated evidence such as drug paraphernalia).
2. If there is an opportunity to ask for the charges to be dismissed, our St Peters Missouri criminal defense attorney will take it! A dismissal of the charges can occur, for instance, if the police officer who arrested you mishandled evidence, or performed an improper search, or violated your Constitutional rights in some manner. If the officer failed to do his/her job correctly, there might be an opening to ask that the charges filed against you be dropped.
3. Regardless of whether can get the case dismissed our defense team will be in constant contact with the local prosecutor. After years of working closely with the St Peters Municipal Court, we have developed a good relationship with everyone from the judge, to the prosecutor, to the clerks.
These relationships have allowed us to work out a deal with the local prosecutor many times in the past. In legal terms, this is called a “plea bargain.” Ideally, such a plea bargain would result in the charges being amended from a misdemeanor (which would show up on your permanent record were to plead guilty to it) down to a minor infraction (such as “Littering,” an infraction that does not show up on anyone’s record). If we are successful in achieving this goal, the court will lower the charge, and assess a fine (along with court costs).
FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION. OUR ST PETERS CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS WILL FIGHT HARD FOR YOUR RIGHTS!
Alternatively, we might also be able to negotiate a period of probation (instead of serving any jail time, or paying any fines). This is referred to as an “SIS” (or Suspended Imposition of Sentence). In this scenario, the judge places you on a probationary period (usually lasting between one to two years in length). If you make it through the SIS probation without any new mishaps, then the original charges will not show up on your permanent record.
4. Any finally, there are those situations in which it is necessary to take the case to trial. The vast majority of misdemeanor charges are resolved long before a trial is even thought about. But the possibility does of course exist. And our St Peters MO criminal defense lawyers are ready if such an outcome arises. Our goal in a criminal trial is to force the prosecutor to prove every single element of the statute under which you were charged, while providing the court with evidence that shows you should not be found guilty.
Facing criminal charges is a very trying and emotional experience. It can seem like the whole world is being stacked up against you. It makes sense to be nervous (and maybe even a little scared). But you have rights! You have Constitutional protections! Just because you have been accused of committing a crime is not the same thing as being guilty. Our team will defend your rights and interests with care, professionalism, and concentrated focus. So give us a call, and we will get to work on your case immediately!!