PRACTICE AREAS

MISDEMEANORS

Criminal Charges, Traffic Violations, Motor Vehicle Crimes

Misdemeanors are classified as less serious crimes than felonies, punishable by up to two and-a-half years of jail time, though most often misdemeanors are a threat to your record, possibly a serious one, along with possible fines or other consequences. Common misdemeanors include shoplifting, many types of drug possession, disorderly conduct, and operating under the influence (OUI).

MOTOR VEHICLE CRIMES

Traffic Tickets, Unlicensed Operation, Uninsured Motor Vehicle

There are a number of different types of traffic violations which, depending on the offense and whether you have had past convictions, can sometimes carry very serious consequences, including a rise in your insurance rates, suspension of your license, a negative impact on your record, new limits to which types of jobs you are allowed to take, and even jail time.

Such offenses could include:

Speeding tickets
Reckless driving
Driving without insurance
Driving without a license (or a revoked, suspended, or expired license)
Failure to obey a police officer

OUI / DWI DEFENSE

Drunk Driving

REMEMBER YOUR RIGHTS:

You DON'T have to get out of your motor vehicle.
You DON'T have to do field sobriety tests.
You DON'T have to take a chemical breath test.
You have the right to remain silent!

Refusing field sobriety and/or chemical breath tests will lead to a license suspension of 180 days and may get you arrested, after which you or someone else will need to pay your bail or be brought to court on the next business day. The result is nearly the same if you fail the test(s). Maximum legal blood alcohol content is 0.08% for adult drivers and 0.02% for minors.

Sentences for a guilty verdict to a charge of operating under the influence (OUI) can be serious, including combinations of jail time, fines, license suspensions, probation, drug and/or alcohol counseling and/or classes and/or inpatient programs, and increases in your insurances rates. The length of jail time, amount of fines, and seriousness of substance abuse recovery programs increase with each offense.

WARRANTS

Arrest Warrants, Default Warrants,
Failure to Pay

In general, arrest warrants are issued by a court where there is probable cause to believe a crime occurred, and bench warrants are issued where a person failed to follow a court order, such as to appear in court.

All warrants command the arresting officer to bring the accused before the court without unnecessary delay.

Warrants can be incredibly stressful and seem highly out of proportion to the offense you've been charged with, such as unpaid traffic tickets. They can also follow you for years and across state lines, cropping up to obstruct your life and rights at times when you may have forgotten or when you have never known that you had allegedly committed an offense. Such obstructions can include access to certain employment opportunities or government benefits. While a warrant is clearly a serious concern for your life and your record, the implications can be unnecessarily harsh and the process of clearing the warrant without further consequences can be needlessly complicated.

The easiest way to overcome a warrant is to contact a qualified attorney who can inform you of what action to take and represent you in having the warrant removed.