subject: Get Legal Help In Case Of An Orlando Criminal Charge [print this page] Being accused of a crime is a very serious matter. If convicted, the event will have life changing consequences for you. You are facing huge fines and prison time. So it is extremely important to know your legal rights and act according to them.
What is a criminal charge?
According to Florida law criminal charges are of two types: felony and misdemeanor. The most common felonies are theft, robbery, kidnapping and drug offenses. If convicted, a person is facing jail time, significant fines and a series of other penalties. He will also loose many of his civil rights, including the right to vote, to run for public office or to apply to certain jobs.
The misdemeanor offenses are considered less serious crimes than felony offenses. If convicted a person is facing a maximum of one year in jail or a $1,000 fine. Misdemeanor convictions will not result in the loss of any civil rights, but they often lead to a criminal record.
No matter what the charges are every accused person has certain rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, that he should be aware of:
Right to a criminal lawyer
Right to remain silent
Right to a trial
Right to confront witnesses
How can a lawyer help?
Accused persons often do not know about their specific rights, and may easily give up on them. Therefore they should hire an Orlando criminal attorney as soon as possible. An experienced lawyer can provide legal representation during the trial and he can protect his clients rights, but he should also be realistic about the case. Knowing the law and all the details of the case he will be able to predict the punishment. But more importantly he is allowed to negotiate with the judge or the lawyers of the other party in order to reduce charges.
So if you are accused of a crime the first thing you need to do is to call a criminal lawyer, before you can say or do anything that could compromise your chances of a fair trial.
