Criminal charges represent a uniquely difficult circumstance for an individual or business entity. Unlike alleged claims for personal injury, breach of contract, business disputes or other civil claims, criminal charges present at least two significantly greater challenges.
First, these charges are not brought by a person or other entity which may have limited resources or whose motivation may be constrained by business or other economic considerations. Claims of criminal misconduct are always brought by the Federal, State or local government, which may have virtually no financial constraint. A prosecutor for the Federal, State or local government is usually much more concerned with his public reputation or perception of “getting tough” on the supposed criminal than about the costs of “getting tough”. And, if the charge has been brought, the prosecutor is already certain he has a strong case to “get tough” on.
Secondly, what is at risk for the criminal defendant is so much more than just money, which is at risk in civil matters. Criminal defendants have their liberty at risk. Besides fines and court costs, often times, the Federal, State or even local government seeks jail sentences for the target criminal defendant. Obviously, depending on the nature and seriousness of the alleged criminal charge, these jail sentences could be as little as a few days or as long as life in prison.
For many of our clients, criminal charges represent another hurdle as well. For the immigrant client who is charged with a criminal offense, even a simple traffic offense, a criminal charge can be the absolute death knell for his immigration status. Even clients with green cards can lose their permanent residency and be deported back to their home country for offenses so small that a U.S. Citizen would never even go to jail. If the client is undocumented, a simple traffic offense without solid representation, can be the gateway to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention and prompt removal from the United States.
At US Legal Solutions, we work hard to protect and defend your rights before the criminal courts by always taking the following steps:
- We take the time to fully understand and investigate the nature and extent of the charges filed against you or your business.
- We carefully review with you the legal basis for the charges issued and what factual basis the prosecution claims to have against you.
- For our immigrant clients, we are able to bring the considerable immigration law expertise of the firm to carefully review the criminal charge together with the Immigration and Naturalization Act in order to fully analyze the exact impact of the charge on your status in the United States.
- We explain the process thoroughly to you from the initial Complaint and Information filed or Grand Jury Indictment, through Arraignment, Preliminary Hearing (if applicable), and all the way through trial.
- We work diligently with you to develop all the applicable facts helpful to your defense and then honestly and frankly discuss with you your trial or plea bargain options.
- When the state is wrong or its case is weak, we fight to prove your innocence to the jury.
- When the state’s case is strong, we fight to get you the best possible plea arrangement given the law and facts of the case.
Last update: 16-Sep-2009
8714 Gravois Rd. St. Louis, Missouri 63123
info@us-legalsolutions.com Fax: 314-722-2000 Telephone: 314-729-1049
