If you have committed a serious criminal offense, chances are you may be charged with a felony, which has significantly greater criminal penalties and other consequences than a conviction for a misdemeanor offense. At Delimon Law, we help clients who are facing felony charges to avoid jail time whenever possible through aggressive criminal defense tactics.
What Are The Consequences of a Felony?
Criminal law generally classifies offenses into three categories: an infraction, misdemeanor, or felony. Of these three categories, a felony is the most serious, as it carries possible jail time of more than one year up to life in prison.
Moreover, a person convicted of a felony not only faces more than one year of jail time and/or a fine of up to $10,000, but a felony conviction will likely severely impact that person’s future, in both employment prospects and life in general.
For example, if you have a felony conviction, you may be denied employment in certain professions that require state licensing. You will also be saddled with a felony record that will always pop up when anyone other than an employer is conducting background checks on you, such as a landlord. If you are not a United States citizen, you may face deportation because of the felony conviction, and it would not matter what other legal status you have.
What a Felony Attorney Can Do for You?
If you have been arrested and are facing a felony charge or charges, it is critical that you immediately talk to an experienced Riverside criminal defense attorney who can help you to mount a strong defense to fend off the charges.
If you retain an experienced felony lawyer as soon as you have been arrested or as soon as you know that you may be sought for arrest, there are certain things they can do for you.
For example, the lawyer might be able to negotiate with the prosecutor in the case to have the felony charges you face reduced to a misdemeanor, which can eliminate the likelihood of imprisonment. If there is imprisonment imposed, the defense lawyer can request to have that sentence suspended, meaning that you do not have to serve the time if you are given certain conditions that you are willing and ready to comply with. So long as you are complying with those conditions, you do not have to complete the jail term imposed.
Also, if you have already been convicted of a felony, an experienced criminal defense lawyer can try to use California Penal Code 17(b) in your defense. This is a law that allows individuals who have been convicted of certain felonies to ask the judge to reduce those convictions to misdemeanors. The key and common factor in all those felony convictions are they must be a type that can be charged as either a felony or misdemeanor, which is often called a “wobbler.”
Consult with a Riverside, CA Criminal Defense Attorney Today
If you have been charged with a felony or have already been convicted of one, contact our office today for a consultation. DeLimon Law is ready to protect your rights.