Wilton Reckless Endangerment Lawyer
After an arrest for Reckless Endangerment, guidance and support from a defense attorney who has helped individuals in your situation before is often key to protecting your legal rights and pursuing a favorable resolution to your charges. For help with your charges, contact a Wilton reckless endangerment lawyer.
What is Reckless Endangerment?
In Connecticut there are two different levels, or degrees, of reckless endangerment. Specifically, under Connecticut General Statutes §53a-64, second-degree reckless endangerment is a class B misdemeanor that involves putting someone else at imminent risk of harm by virtue of an irresponsible, unreasonable, or overtly illegal action. First-degree reckless endangerment—which C.G.S. §53a-63 defines as a class A misdemeanor—has the same basic definition, but it also involves the defendant acting with “extreme indifference to human life.”
What Penalties Could I Be Facing for Reckless Endangerment?
Based on the severity of the charges, a person may face a maximum of either six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, or a 12-month jail sentence and a $2,000 fine. In either scenario, the addition of a domestic violence classification to this offense could result in further repercussion, including investigation by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and the imposition of a protective order.
A Wilton attorney could explain in further detail what consequences may come from a particular reckless endangerment charge, as well as provide crucial assistance mitigating the risk of serious criminal and non-criminal sanctions.
What Should I Do After Being Arrested?
Because reckless endangerment has such a vague definition under Connecticut state law, there are virtually no limitations on when a police officer could charge someone with this offense. These charges often come in tandem with charges of drunk driving with passengers in the vehicle, brandishing a firearm in public, and similar offenses that might endanger other people nearby, but virtually any action a police officer thinks is unreasonably dangerous could serve as grounds for a reckless endangerment charge.
Accordingly, it is critical for individuals arrested for this offense to say as little as possible to the police without legal counsel present, as even one poorly phrased statement could be construed as admission of guilt, or of knowledge that an act was irresponsibly dangerous. Even if the justification for a reckless endangerment arrest seems flimsy, it is always best to let a lawyer in Wilton take the lead on making that argument, and potentially on pursuing alternative sentencing options like probation, community service, or the Accelerated Rehabilitation Program for first offenders.
Discuss Legal Options with a Wilton Reckless Endangerment Attorney
Representation from a Wilton reckless endangerment lawyer could make the difference between a positive and negative outcome to your criminal charges. Find out what a skilled attorney with hundreds of 5-star avvo.com reviews could do for you by calling today and scheduling a consultation.