Whether you live in South Bend, Crown Point, Indianapolis, Valparaiso, or another Indiana town or city, you may have racked up a few traffic tickets. You may not think that traffic tickets warrant engaging the services of a criminal defense lawyer, but if you're faced with the potential suspension of your driver's license, you might want to think again.
Although traffic tickets may not rank up there with weapon crimes, a federal felony, or even a misdemeanor, they can be very serious. When you receive a traffic ticket for traffic violations like failing to stop at a stop sign, exceeding the posted speed limit, or not turning on your turn signal when you're making a lane change, you accumulate points against your driver's license. A minor offense may bring with it a two-point penalty, but a more serious offense can do much more damage to your driving record and have serious consequences for your life and lifestyle.
For example, if you were ticketed for driving under the influence, for not pulling over for an emergency vehicle, or for racing, you would accumulate eight points against your driving record. In Indiana, if you accumulate eighteen points over twenty-four months, you may have your driver's license suspended. The suspension could range from 30 days to one year. Consider the impact that would have on your ability to go to work, to take care of your family, and to do all of the things that make life run smoothly.
What many people do not realize is that, if you have accumulated those eighteen points, a good lawyer can help prevent your driver's license from being suspended. He does this by working with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to dismiss or excuse older traffic tickets for relatively minor infractions. If, for example, you have eighteen points but have a ticket for speeding that is twenty-two months old, an attorney can work to get that old two-point ticket dismissed. When he succeeds, you are left with only sixteen points and no cause for license suspension.
Likewise, if you are what Indiana law terms a "habitual offender" by having multiple moving violations and a serious offense like driving under the influence over the period of a decade, you may face a five- to ten-year suspension of your license. Driving while your license is suspended is considered a felony, and can result in a suspended license for life. Considering the impact this could have on your life and livelihood, obtaining the services of a good lawyer is well advised.
Traffic tickets may not seem like a big deal, but they can result in missed time at work, the loss of your driver's license, skyrocketing insurance rates, and heavy fines. If you're considered a repeat offender, you may even be subjected to a prison sentence. Serious traffic tickets should be taken seriously, and the right Indiana lawyer can help you navigate the penalties associated with traffic tickets so you can move on with your life.
http://www.add-articles.com/Article/The-Right-Indiana-Lawyer-Can-Mitigate-the-Effects-of-Multiple-Traffic-Tickets/108917
Thursday, July 19, 2007
How an Indiana Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Help After Conviction
It's a devastating blow when you or a loved one has been convicted of a crime, whether a misdemeanor or a felony. If you live in Indiana - whether in South Bend, Crown Point, Indianapolis, Valparaiso, or another city or town - you should know that a good criminal defense lawyer can help you in terms of appeals, probation, and sentence modification.
Appeals
If you are convicted of a crime, an experienced attorney can review the charges and trial to determine if there is cause for appeal. For example, there may have been mistakes made in the charges brought against you, or there may have been improprieties during the trial itself. Perhaps there was an exclusion of exculpatory evidence or testimony, or maybe the trial court made a mistake in its decision to join defendants. Perhaps the evidence didn't support a severe charge and conviction, and you should have been tried on a reduced charge and received a lighter conviction.
Appeals can also be made and won based on issues surrounding sentencing. Perhaps a sentence was imposed that was an abuse of the trial court's discretion, or a prior conviction was inappropriately used to justify a harsher sentence.
A good criminal defense attorney is especially important if a conviction on a misdemeanor charge would mean the revocation of a professional license. A successful appeal could mean the difference between maintaining your livelihood and having to start your life over again in a new profession.
Probation Violations
You can experience severe consequences if you are arrested while on probation or if you have violated your probation after conviction and a suspended sentence. An experienced lawyer can present your case in the best possible light in order to avoid the harshest penalties. Given that local jurisdictions can have tremendous leeway in how probation violations are treated, it's important to engage a lawyer who has knowledge of the procedures in each Indiana county. This is particularly crucial if you have been charged with a new crime while on probation, as a conviction means that you would have to serve consecutive sentences for the suspended portion of your original sentence and the sentence for your new conviction.
Sentence Modification
If you've been convicted of a crime, an experienced criminal defense lawyer can often successfully file an appeal with the Indiana State Court of Appeals in order to obtain a sentence modification, verdict reversal, or an order for a new trial.
Even if you've unsuccessfully appealed your verdict, you can still try to obtain what's called post-conviction relief. Post-conviction relief typically involves arguing that you didn't receive effective legal counsel during your trial, that you were coerced into pleading guilty, that new evidence has been discovered, and so forth. When post-conviction relief is successful, your lawyer can work to undo conviction-related damage to your rights and records.
When you've been convicted of a crime, it's difficult to surmount the emotional turmoil and think clearly about the road ahead. That's why it's crucial that you find a criminal defense attorney who is experienced in all facets of the appellate process.
http://www.add-articles.com/Article/How-an-Indiana-Criminal-Defense-Lawyer-Can-Help-After-Conviction/110232
Appeals
If you are convicted of a crime, an experienced attorney can review the charges and trial to determine if there is cause for appeal. For example, there may have been mistakes made in the charges brought against you, or there may have been improprieties during the trial itself. Perhaps there was an exclusion of exculpatory evidence or testimony, or maybe the trial court made a mistake in its decision to join defendants. Perhaps the evidence didn't support a severe charge and conviction, and you should have been tried on a reduced charge and received a lighter conviction.
Appeals can also be made and won based on issues surrounding sentencing. Perhaps a sentence was imposed that was an abuse of the trial court's discretion, or a prior conviction was inappropriately used to justify a harsher sentence.
A good criminal defense attorney is especially important if a conviction on a misdemeanor charge would mean the revocation of a professional license. A successful appeal could mean the difference between maintaining your livelihood and having to start your life over again in a new profession.
Probation Violations
You can experience severe consequences if you are arrested while on probation or if you have violated your probation after conviction and a suspended sentence. An experienced lawyer can present your case in the best possible light in order to avoid the harshest penalties. Given that local jurisdictions can have tremendous leeway in how probation violations are treated, it's important to engage a lawyer who has knowledge of the procedures in each Indiana county. This is particularly crucial if you have been charged with a new crime while on probation, as a conviction means that you would have to serve consecutive sentences for the suspended portion of your original sentence and the sentence for your new conviction.
Sentence Modification
If you've been convicted of a crime, an experienced criminal defense lawyer can often successfully file an appeal with the Indiana State Court of Appeals in order to obtain a sentence modification, verdict reversal, or an order for a new trial.
Even if you've unsuccessfully appealed your verdict, you can still try to obtain what's called post-conviction relief. Post-conviction relief typically involves arguing that you didn't receive effective legal counsel during your trial, that you were coerced into pleading guilty, that new evidence has been discovered, and so forth. When post-conviction relief is successful, your lawyer can work to undo conviction-related damage to your rights and records.
When you've been convicted of a crime, it's difficult to surmount the emotional turmoil and think clearly about the road ahead. That's why it's crucial that you find a criminal defense attorney who is experienced in all facets of the appellate process.
http://www.add-articles.com/Article/How-an-Indiana-Criminal-Defense-Lawyer-Can-Help-After-Conviction/110232
How an Indiana Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Help After Conviction
It's a devastating blow when you or a loved one has been convicted of a crime, whether a misdemeanor or a felony. If you live in Indiana - whether in South Bend, Crown Point, Indianapolis, Valparaiso, or another city or town - you should know that a good criminal defense lawyer can help you in terms of appeals, probation, and sentence modification.
Appeals
If you are convicted of a crime, an experienced attorney can review the charges and trial to determine if there is cause for appeal. For example, there may have been mistakes made in the charges brought against you, or there may have been improprieties during the trial itself. Perhaps there was an exclusion of exculpatory evidence or testimony, or maybe the trial court made a mistake in its decision to join defendants. Perhaps the evidence didn't support a severe charge and conviction, and you should have been tried on a reduced charge and received a lighter conviction.
Appeals can also be made and won based on issues surrounding sentencing. Perhaps a sentence was imposed that was an abuse of the trial court's discretion, or a prior conviction was inappropriately used to justify a harsher sentence.
A good criminal defense attorney is especially important if a conviction on a misdemeanor charge would mean the revocation of a professional license. A successful appeal could mean the difference between maintaining your livelihood and having to start your life over again in a new profession.
Probation Violations
You can experience severe consequences if you are arrested while on probation or if you have violated your probation after conviction and a suspended sentence. An experienced lawyer can present your case in the best possible light in order to avoid the harshest penalties. Given that local jurisdictions can have tremendous leeway in how probation violations are treated, it's important to engage a lawyer who has knowledge of the procedures in each Indiana county. This is particularly crucial if you have been charged with a new crime while on probation, as a conviction means that you would have to serve consecutive sentences for the suspended portion of your original sentence and the sentence for your new conviction.
Sentence Modification
If you've been convicted of a crime, an experienced criminal defense lawyer can often successfully file an appeal with the Indiana State Court of Appeals in order to obtain a sentence modification, verdict reversal, or an order for a new trial.
Even if you've unsuccessfully appealed your verdict, you can still try to obtain what's called post-conviction relief. Post-conviction relief typically involves arguing that you didn't receive effective legal counsel during your trial, that you were coerced into pleading guilty, that new evidence has been discovered, and so forth. When post-conviction relief is successful, your lawyer can work to undo conviction-related damage to your rights and records.
When you've been convicted of a crime, it's difficult to surmount the emotional turmoil and think clearly about the road ahead. That's why it's crucial that you find a criminal defense attorney who is experienced in all facets of the appellate process.
http://www.add-articles.com/Article/How-an-Indiana-Criminal-Defense-Lawyer-Can-Help-After-Conviction/110232
Appeals
If you are convicted of a crime, an experienced attorney can review the charges and trial to determine if there is cause for appeal. For example, there may have been mistakes made in the charges brought against you, or there may have been improprieties during the trial itself. Perhaps there was an exclusion of exculpatory evidence or testimony, or maybe the trial court made a mistake in its decision to join defendants. Perhaps the evidence didn't support a severe charge and conviction, and you should have been tried on a reduced charge and received a lighter conviction.
Appeals can also be made and won based on issues surrounding sentencing. Perhaps a sentence was imposed that was an abuse of the trial court's discretion, or a prior conviction was inappropriately used to justify a harsher sentence.
A good criminal defense attorney is especially important if a conviction on a misdemeanor charge would mean the revocation of a professional license. A successful appeal could mean the difference between maintaining your livelihood and having to start your life over again in a new profession.
Probation Violations
You can experience severe consequences if you are arrested while on probation or if you have violated your probation after conviction and a suspended sentence. An experienced lawyer can present your case in the best possible light in order to avoid the harshest penalties. Given that local jurisdictions can have tremendous leeway in how probation violations are treated, it's important to engage a lawyer who has knowledge of the procedures in each Indiana county. This is particularly crucial if you have been charged with a new crime while on probation, as a conviction means that you would have to serve consecutive sentences for the suspended portion of your original sentence and the sentence for your new conviction.
Sentence Modification
If you've been convicted of a crime, an experienced criminal defense lawyer can often successfully file an appeal with the Indiana State Court of Appeals in order to obtain a sentence modification, verdict reversal, or an order for a new trial.
Even if you've unsuccessfully appealed your verdict, you can still try to obtain what's called post-conviction relief. Post-conviction relief typically involves arguing that you didn't receive effective legal counsel during your trial, that you were coerced into pleading guilty, that new evidence has been discovered, and so forth. When post-conviction relief is successful, your lawyer can work to undo conviction-related damage to your rights and records.
When you've been convicted of a crime, it's difficult to surmount the emotional turmoil and think clearly about the road ahead. That's why it's crucial that you find a criminal defense attorney who is experienced in all facets of the appellate process.
http://www.add-articles.com/Article/How-an-Indiana-Criminal-Defense-Lawyer-Can-Help-After-Conviction/110232
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)