If you are arrested and charged with a misdemeanor, you need to take the situation very seriously. These charges aren’t something that you want to just plead guilty to and try to move on with your life because they can have a lasting impact in ways you have likely not thought of. An aggressive defense today can help protect you from problems for years to come. Read on to learn about some of the reasons that you need to take misdemeanor charges very seriously.

Serious Consequences

If you are convicted of a misdemeanor you may assume that the penalties will be fairly minor, such as a small financial fine. The reality is, however, that the judges typically have a huge amount of leeway on penalties, and what they assign can vary drastically based on many factors. Depending on what the charges were, you could get anything from a small fine to having to pay thousands of dollars and spend countless hours performing community service. It is also possible that you could lose your driving privileges, or even go to jail (see below!). You don’t want to have such serious penalties left to the whims of a judge!

Visible on Background Checks

One of the biggest misconceptions about misdemeanor convictions is that they won’t show up on background checks. In reality, most misdemeanor charges will be visible on your police record for the rest of your life. In today’s world, background checks are run on people for many reasons including when they want to volunteer at their children’s school, coach a sporting team, and of course, when trying to get a job.

Direct Impact on Job Prospects

Most employers today will run a background check on potential job candidates to see what they find. While a misdemeanor charge may not appear serious to you, imagine looking at it from the point of view of an employer. If they have multiple qualified candidates, it is unlikely that they will hire someone with a conviction on their record when they don’t have to. Some employers will even terminate someone’s employment should they get convicted of any crime!

Potential Jail Time

As mentioned above, one of the penalties that a judge can assign for a misdemeanor conviction is jail time. The length of jail time will depend on what the charges were, other details on your record, and (unfortunately) how the judge feels about you personally. Jail time can range from nothing at all up to 6 months or more behind bars!

We will Help You Fight for Your Legal Rights

If you are arrested and charged with a misdemeanor, you need to take the situation extremely seriously. Having an experienced defense attorney working on your behalf is critical for getting a not-guilty verdict, or even having the charges dropped entirely.

An arrest warrant is a warrant provided to a law enforcement official by a judge in a court of law granting that law enforcement official the right and duty to arrest a person of interest in connection with a crime.

In a court of law, a warrant of arrest is acquired by presenting a judge likely to arrest the suspect. If there is any relevant evidence that can be submitted to the judge when applying for an arrest warrant to speed up the process, it should be disclosed. That is why, before applying for an arrest warrant, many officers or prosecutors ensure that they have probable cause and at least two pieces of evidence to present to the judge.

Most commonly, arrest warrants are required when a crime is committed from a police officer’s perspective. If, in view of a police officer, a crime is committed then an arrest can be made without a warrant. If your arrest warrant is real, it’s better to turn yourself in than wait for the police to pick you up. The courts will think that if you turn yourself in, you’re a more responsible person. If you have a bail hearing, this may improve your chances of being allowed to return to the community.

Law enforcement officers use a number of methods in South Carolina to apprehend motorists driving while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A common law enforcement approach is to establish DUI checkpoints for vehicles. These checkpoints can be an important tool for law enforcement, as vehicles passing through the checkpoint can be stopped, inquired, and further investigated if warranted. Checkpoints result not only in DUI arrests, but also in violations of licenses and insurance, drug offenses, and warrant arrests.

The United States’ Fourth Amendment to the Constitution ensures that all persons have the right to be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures. While the equivalent of a “seizure” is a license or DUI checkpoint, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of using a brief stop to check licenses or detect drunk drivers. Not all checkpoints are legal, however, unless they meet certain basic requirements. Whether or not a checkpoint is legal depends largely on exactly how the checkpoint was set up by law enforcement, how the checkpoint was run, and proof that the checkpoint was “successful.”

Facing assault charges in South Carolina is a scary experience. You face the loss of your freedom and possible damage to your reputation. You likely have many questions. Attorney Freddy Woods is frequently contacted by people facing serious criminal charges. Here are the most common questions he receives about assault charges and their answers. If you still have questions after reading this information or would like to secure his legal services to defend yourself against assault charges in South Carolina, contact the Woods Law Firm for a confidential consultation.