subject: Hiring An Attorney To Minimize Your Sentence [print this page] When you are faced with criminal charges in the Lone Star State, it is the job of a qualified Houston Criminal Law Attorney to defend your integrity as well as your lifestyle. Of course, you desire a verdict of "Not Guilty," but sometimes the case is not about whether or not you might have committed a crime. Sometimes the case is about an accident that may have involved you and another person. Sometimes there are circumstances that were difficult to predict that resulted in a suspicious or unfortunate situation. Basically, you might be charged with a crime that have actually committed; the reason you hire a lawyer is to argue your case and reduce your sentence.
There are many different kinds of sentences that can be assessed to you. Most people are familiar with a "life" sentence, but that is reserved for the most heinous of crimes. There are many other types of sentences. In most states, for example, there are statutes that describe a mandatory sentence for various categories of crimes. This means that nobody can change the punishment: not the attorneys and not the judge. Many capital crimes have a mandatory life sentence. However, the job of the Houston Criminal Law Attorney is try to find charges with sentences that are easier to deal with because statistics show that people who are faced with extended jail time often have trouble getting their life back together when they are released. This often results in returning to or beginning a life of crime. It is the job of your Houston Criminal Law Attorney to do their best to make sure that doesn't happen.
Driving Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance (alcohol) is a common criminal charge in the United States, and it is a perfect example of how a qualified Houston Criminal Law Attorney can negotiate your sentence. For instance, you can be charged with a misdemeanor DUI or a felony DUI which is determined by either the level of alcohol in your system or the damage you might have caused in the incident. There are typically indeterminate and presumptive sentences for misdemeanor and felony DUI. This means that if found guilty, there is a minimum and maximum sentence that a judge can use to determine what a guilty verdict could render as well as a flexibility that is allowed for a judge to change a sentence dependent on other factors in the case.
In many cases, if you are charged with a DUI, your Houston Criminal Law Attorney will probably try to argue for a suspended or deferred sentence. This is a plea that often allows a person facing a DUI to go on probation to satisfy court requirements (often drug and alcohol counseling, safe driving classes, victim impact panel, etc.) in order to negotiate a reduced sentence later. Sometimes, it can be argued that a person should not serve time in jail, but instead perform community service. This helps to keep minor offenders out of prisons and put respectable people who made one, simple mistake return to their lives.
