St. Louis Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
ONLY $375 FOR MOST MISDEMEANORS IN ST LOUIS
If the prosecutor is willing to reduce (or amend) a criminal charge, it is because he/she recognizes that doing so is way more efficient than allowing the case to go to trial. Prosecutors are usually pretty overwhelmed with cases. Which means if they can negotiate a deal with a St Louis criminal defense lawyer, then that is going to make their job that much easier.
This process is called a “plea bargain”. A plea bargain is basically a deal that is worked out between the state and the defendant to reduce the charge to some lesser offense. So for example, let’s say you have been charged with 1st Degree trespassing in St Louis. This is a Class B Misdemeanor (which can come with up to six (6) months of jail time, and a $500 fine). But if you hire an experienced attorney, he or she can work closely with the prosecutor to get the charge lowered to some minor infraction (like “littering,” that does not even show up on your record).
Once the charge is reduced, the court will assess a fine and costs (usually around a $150 fine, and about $26 court costs). The court will normally give you about 30 to 45 days to pay these costs (and some jurisdictions may even be willing to allow a payment plan over several months).
PLEADING GUILTY TO THE CHARGE IS NOT YOUR BEST OPTION!!
So why would the prosecutor want to go this route instead of taking the case to trial? Well, imagine you are a prosecutor, and you have thousands of trespassing cases on your docket (each of which would take hours of prep time; time that could be spent on a more serious criminal matter). Are you going to want to spend your time prosecuting a bunch of people who got caught in a park after hours? Or are you going to want to simply work out a deal with the defendant’s attorney?
Either way, it is best to speak with a criminal defense attorney in St. Louis about your particular charge!! We can describe what your rights are, what you can expect from the court, and answer all of your questions!!
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!!