Articles Posted in St. Louis Criminal Defense

ONLY $375 ATTORNEY FEES FOR MOST ST LOUIS MISDEMEANORS

Yep. And the easiest way they can do that is by writing a police report that does not accurately describe the facts as they actually happened. Because once the police report is written (in such a way that always favors the cop’s side of the story), then it’s your word against the cop.

Most people (or least those who have never been charged with a crime, or have never seen a friend or loved one go through a criminal charge) are inclined to believe that police officers do not break the law. Or that if they do break the law, it’s more of a “bending” of the law (and only when they really, really have to; like in an emergency). But the fact of the matter is, on any given day, there are unbelievable violations of the Constitution happening every day around the country.

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ONLY $375 FOR MOST ST LOUIS MISDEMEANOR CHARGES

The single best way for you to avoid doing any time in prison or jail is to hire a good St Louis criminal defense lawyer. Your attorney will know the law, how it works, what sort of defenses you can argue, and will usually have a good relationship with the both the judge and prosecutor. But if you do it all by yourself (represent yourself “pro se”), then not only will the court treat you as if you are an attorney, it will very likely not give you any leeway.

When you have been charged with a crime in St Louis (or anywhere in the state of Missouri), the prosecutor has a duty to prove that you are in fact guilty of the charges. This requires that he/she convince a judge or jury, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the elements of the statute were violated. Now that may seem like a pretty straightforward idea, but it is not at all easy to do in practice.

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AS LOW AS $750 FOR CERTAIN ST LOUIS FELONIES

No, a municipality within the St Louis area does not have the authority to charge you with a felony. They are limited to misdemeanors and simple infractions. The only two governmental entities that may charge a felony are the county and St Louis City.

Let’s look at a specific example: A municipal police officer catches you at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights, MO with an illegal substance (heroin). Getting caught with such a thing in the state of Missouri is a Class C Felony. But Maryland Heights can’t charge you with this kind of thing. They must send it to St Louis County.

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AS LOW AS $750 FOR CERTAIN ST LOUIS FELONIES

Yes, it is. And when such a deal can be made, then the whole matter can end there. But sometimes a plea agreement cannot be worked out (or perhaps the deal that the prosecutor is offering is so bad that you might as well go to trial). And when that happens, you absolutely have other options and rights.

Nine times out of ten, a deal will be worked out between your St Louis criminal defense lawyer and the prosecutor in regards to the crime that you have been charged with. The court prefers that this occur because it makes for a more efficient system. Just imagine if every single charge that the state brings against someone is taken to trial. It would clog up the courts so much that nothing would get done!!

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ONLY $375 FOR MOST ST LOUIS MISDEMEANORS

If a police officer conducted a search of your person or car (or any of your belongings), then it may be possible to file a Motion to Suppress. This type of motion will inform the court of the improper action taken by the officer, and if granted, will disallow any evidence found as a result of the illegal search.

When you are pulled over (or if you are stopped on the street) by a police officer, then it is possible that the cop will do a quick “pat down” on you to make sure you are not holding any dangerous weapons. But if the officer wishes to conduct a further search, then he/she must be able to articulate a good reason for doing so.

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ONLY $750 FOR LOW LEVEL FELONY CHARGES

We keep our fees reasonably low so that more people may have access to an experienced St Louis criminal defense lawyer. Most criminal defense firms charge very high fees in order to retain their services. As a result, many people never get the chance to have someone fight on their side.

In the St Louis criminal defense world, there are those who can dish out thousands and thousands of dollars to hire an expensive lawyer (this is of course a relatively small group of people), and then there are those individuals who qualify for the Public Defender’s Office. This second group of people is also relatively small, because the city and county have specific qualifying criteria (namely, whether or not you fall above or below a certain income level).

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AS LOW AS $750 FOR ST LOUIS FELONY CHARGES

If you have been criminally charged with anything at all, then you absolutely should be taking it seriously. But generally speaking, a St Louis felony charge is quite a bit more worrisome than a misdemeanor.

The state of Missouri separates its criminal charges by categorizing them as either a felony or a misdemeanor. A St Louis misdemeanor can be thought of as a lower-level infraction (such as trespassing, shoplifting low value items, possession of low amounts of marijuana, etc.). Felony charges are reserved for those crimes the state determines to be much more significant (and/or pose a greater threat to society). Some common examples of St Louis felonies would be 1^st Degree Murder, 1^st Degree Arson, etc.).

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