Being charged with any kind of criminal charges is incredibly frustrating, depressing and most people do not even realize how stressful the process really is. Still, there are two main types of charges that will largely determine the final verdict – misdemeanor charges and felony charges.
With that said, chances are, you already know that misdemeanor charges are far less detrimental and involve milder legal penalties. A person is going to be charged with a misdemeanor offense in case the bodily injuries of the victim were not dangerous for his or her health as well as well being. Scratches, minor sprains, cuts and minimal damage largely make for the misdemeanor case. Of course, it does not mean that a person, who committed a misdemeanor offense, is going to avoid any and all legal penalties. It simply means that the legal punishment is not going to be as severe.
Still, it is important for you to understand that before the charges are going to be set, your case is going to go to the prosecutor. He or she is going to study it and will determine if it is going to go to court and what kind of charges are suitable for your case. However, the prosecutors often overcharge people in hopes of negotiating a better deal with them. It is a common practice, but it means that you should not agree with everything the prosecutor is telling you. The very best thing to would be hiring a qualified as well as genuinely experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, who would know how to deal with this legal situation properly.
In order for you to get a more comprehensive understanding of the matter, let us review the following example: Let us say that Daniel was charged with a felony after he accidentally struck a pedestrian. The prosecution told Daniel that he should definitely plead guilty. This way, the charges will be reduced to misdemeanors and he will be able to avoid jail. It seems like a reasonable deal, does it not? Well, good thing that Daniel hired a professional lawyer, who got in touch with the pedestrian and asked for his medical bills. With his consent he reviewed the bills and realized that the victim only sustained minor injuries – bruises and scratches. This means that the case was a misdemeanor one to begin with. Hence, now they could negotiate a much better deal and Daniel will not need to listen to the prosecutor and his offer after all. The example clearly demonstrates how valuable a good Los Angeles criminal defense attorney may really be for reducing the sentence.
