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Indiana Criminal Misdemeanor Defense

Indiana Criminal MisdemenorMisdemeanors, like felonies, are criminal acts. However Misdemeanors are generally only punishable by imposing a fine and/or executed jail time of no more than one (1) year.

The types of misdemeanor cases that I routinely handle include:

That having been said, as I explain to young lawyers, and other attorneys not familiar with the Indiana Criminal Justice System who call me for advice, a person who is arrested and charged with a Misdemeanor should receive the same type of legal representation that a person charged with a Felony receives.

Every person arrested for a crime in Indiana faces the possibility of losing their jobs; being locked up in the county jail; or, being forced to pay a bond to get out of jail.

Additionally, every time a person is arrested, a criminal arrest record is created which follows them for the rest of their lives. Each additional time that a person is arrested, the new arrest and charge are added to their arrest record. When the person is arrested, the length of their arrest record, and the nature of the prior charges influences how they are treated by the arresting Police Officer, the prosecutor, and the Judge regarding their new case. Some employers, like health care professionals, and school boards, will not hire individuals with certain types of convictions. Misdemeanor convictions may prevent your admission to certain colleges and professional schools. It is the job of an Indiana criminal defense lawyer to aggressively attack and defend every criminal charge, whether it is a Misdemeanor, or a Felony.

There are other long lasting effects regarding misdemeanor convictions which are not readily apparent. For instance, a first arrest for possession of a handgun in Indiana is a misdemeanor for which a person may not receive more than a one (1) year executed sentence. Wanting the misdemeanor handgun conviction for its lasting consequences, a prosecutor may even agree to a suspended sentence. Later, the misdemeanor handgun conviction may be relied upon in a drug related case in Federal Court as an aggravating factor requiring the imposition of a non suspendable life sentence.

The same defensive strategies and discovery maneuvers utilized in felony cases should be appropriately employed in misdemeanor cases.

Since spending time in jail and obtaining a criminal record will occur if you are convicted of a misdemeanor, it is important to hire a lawyer immediately after you are arrested.