Westport Criminal Lawyer
Taking criminal charges in Connecticut lightly is a mistake no defendant should ever make. Even allegations of conduct that is relatively low on the spectrum of perceived severity have the potential to yield dire consequences if a conviction is obtained.
To begin building your defense strategy, contact an experienced criminal attorney who is ready to assist you with your case. Hiring a Westport criminal lawyer can benefit the outcome of your trial.
Potential Imposed Penalties
Above and beyond the penalties imposed by the courts as a result of a criminal conviction, there are a series of additional consequences facing people who plead guilty or have been found guilty after a Westport Connecticut arrest.
Employment losses, online publication of mug shots and conviction, license revocations, alteration of existing child custody arrangements, mandatory sex offender registry and overall societal stigma are just a few of the consequences that can make a normal, productive life extremely challenging to achieve. Contacting a Westport criminal lawyer who can help someone prepare for trial may be vital to their case.
Common Defense Strategies
Those who learn they are the subject of a criminal investigation or who have actually been charged with a crime are fully justified in the fear and confusion they are likely to feel. The impact such an event can have on their lives and those of their loved ones cannot be overstated.
It is important for such individuals to consider hiring a Westport criminal lawyer. These may include arguments related to concepts such as:
- Sexual consent
- Unconstitutional search and seizure of evidence
- Mental disease / defect
- Entrapment techniques used by law enforcement
- Self defense
- Intoxication
- Defense of others
- Defendant’s age
- Duress
Role of the Westport Penal Code
Westport arrests cover a wide variety of offenses which can and regularly do place the personal liberty and future prospects of defendants in real peril.
The Connecticut Penal Code outlines a range of crimes that includes everything from homicide to prostitution to breach of peace. These provisions also set forth the types of penalties that can be imposed on those found guilty of the acts described therein, with many of them truly life-altering in nature.
Felony v. Misdemeanor Arrests
Connecticut legislators outlined the distinctions between misdemeanor crimes and felony offenses, with the former considered to be rather less harmful to society and thus capable of producing less stringent sanctions.
Misdemeanors can subject individuals to incarceration lasting no more than one year. However, felony crimes are those thought to cause greater detriment to victims and routinely bring substantial punishments to those convicted of committing them.
Common Westport Charges
Each arrest requires its own, distinct defense strategy. It is important to consider hiring a Westport criminal lawyer who understands the ins and outs of prosecutions related to:
- Drug offenses
- Weapons violations
- Assault and battery
- Sex offenses
- Arson
- Computer crime
- DUI / DWI / OUI
- Forgery
- Fraud
- Domestic violence
- Prostitution and soliciting
- Homicide
Benefit of an Attorney
With more arrests and convictions being published online, the potential loss of freedom, harm to your finances, and irreparable harm to online reputations can cripple families for years.
When the time comes to fight against such an outcome and seek the best possible result, joining forces with a Westport Connecticut criminal lawyer can make all the difference.