Stamford Threat to Harm Lawyer
If you cause someone to reasonably fear for their physical safety or threaten the commission of a crime, you may be arrested and charged with a misdemeanor offense—or, under certain circumstances, even a felony.
A criminal defense attorney could work on your behalf to collect exculpatory evidence, advocate for your legal best interests, and potentially pursue alternative sentencing arrangements beyond fines and prison time. Call now to speak with a Stamford threat to harm lawyer.
What Constitutes a Criminal Threat to Harm in CT?
Connecticut General Statutes §§53a-61aa and 53a-62 respectively define the criminal offenses of first-degree threatening and second-degree threatening. A person in Stamford may be arrested for threatening in the second degree if they make a physical threat to another person that puts them in fear of serious injury, threaten to commit a violent crime against someone else, or recklessly threaten a violent crime in a way that terrorizes another person.
Threatening in the first degree, on the other hand, involves a second-degree threat to harm along with one or more aggravating factors, including a reckless threat to use a hazardous substance in the commission of a violent crime, an intentional threat to knowingly commit such a crime, or a threat to harm another person by using a firearm.
Both first and second-degree threatening offenses may also be punished more harshly if a threat is made against a religious place of worship or community center, a day care center, or a public or private school. A Stamford threat to harm attorney could clarify further how these and other factors may impact the outcome of a particular case.
What to Expect During a Threat to Harm Case
After being arrested for any degree of threatening, a defendant in Stamford should expect to attend an arraignment hearing before a Superior Court judge a few days after they are booked and charged. At this hearing, the judge will ask for an initial plea and then almost certainly issue a restraining order against the defendant that forbids them from contacting the protected party or parties in any way. If the alleged target of the defendant’s threat was a household or family member, they may also be subject to investigation from the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and other consequences associated with domestic violence offenses.
What Are the Potential Penalties for a Threatening Conviction?
The consequences a person could face upon conviction of making a criminal threat to harm can vary significantly depending on the aforementioned aggravating factors. In its most basic form, second-degree threatening is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by no more than one year in jail and a fine of $2,000, but any such threat made against a church, school, or day care center as noted above is a Class D felony punishable by up to five years of imprisonment and a $5,000 fine.
In the same vein, first-degree threatening can be either a Class D or Class C felony—the latter of which may result in up to a ten-year prison sentence and a $10,000 fine upon conviction—depending on what person or place the threat involved. If a threat to harm in Stamford is classified as a felony, it is especially critical to seek counsel and representation from an attorney who has handled these kinds of cases before.
Get in Touch with a Stamford Threat to Harm Attorney Today
While the First Amendment does protect most forms of speech in Connecticut, a threat to cause physical harm or commit a crime against someone else does not qualify as protected speech. Accordingly, you could face serious criminal consequences if you are accused of knowingly threatening someone else—especially if you try to defend yourself without experienced legal help.
A dedicated Stamford threat to harm lawyer could stand by your side throughout your entire case, relentlessly pursuing a favorable resolution on your behalf. To schedule a consultation and learn more about your legal options, call today. If you’re not convinced, head over to Avvo.com to see our hundreds of reviews from happy clients.