St. Louis Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
$375 FOR MOST ST LOUIS MISDEMEANORS
Absolutely. There are plenty of options available. And your instincts are right on wanting to protect your child. Because he or she were to simply plead guilty, it could have a devastating effect on their immediate future.
Being charged with stealing and/or theft in St. Louis is not a minor affair. But for whatever reason, a lot of people either think that it’s not that big of a deal (as if it won’t have any negative effect on them in the future), or that there isn’t anything they can do about it anyway (as if they do not have any options whatsoever). But the exact opposite is true. Let’s take a look at some reasons why:
- If your son or daughter were to plead guilty, then that criminal charge would become a part of his/her record. And if he or she were to apply for a job (or in some cases, for a student loan or admission into certain colleges), it would show up on a criminal background check. These background checks are often used to screen out potential candidates.
- The potential charges for stealing in the state of Missouri is categorized by the value of the goods stolen. For instance, if the value of the stolen goods is less than $500, then it is described as a Class A Misdemeanor (which can come with up to one (1) year of jail time and a $1,000 fine).
- Instead of dealing with these negative consequences, you could hire an experienced St. Louis criminal defense attorney to represent your child. At the very least, your attorney can try and get the charges reduced to a lesser charge (such as an infraction that would never show up on you’re their record at all, like “littering”). Or if the prosecutor is not willing to make that kind of deal, then there is usually an opportunity to do an SIS (Suspended Imposition of Sentence). An SIS involves a period of probation (usually one to two years in length). If after the probationary period runs out your son or daughter has not gotten into any more trouble, then the charges are dropped altogether.
So as you can see, there are options other than pleading guilty to the charge. And understanding what your rights and options are starts with a call to us!
PLEADING GUILTY IS NOT YOUR BEST OPTION!!
The affordable St. Louis criminal defense attorneys at The Bankruptcy Company, have been helping people with their misdemeanor charges for over ten (10) years. Our goal is to make sure that the charges leveled against you do not stay on your permanent record, and do any lasting damage. And we want to do all of this at an affordable price. The fees for a typical misdemeanor case start at $375. But the initial consultation to discuss your legal issues is free of charge. So contact us today!!
We have one location by appointment only: 4625 Lindell Blvd St. Louis, MO 63108. The initial consultation is free of charge. So contact us today to learn more!!