Are You Facing Criminal Charges?

Criminal Defense Lawyer

If you have been charged with criminal wrongdoing, it’s time to seek experienced legal guidance from a reputable, local criminal defense attorney. Iowa prosecutors may treat even the most seemingly innocuous misdemeanor offenses very seriously. As a result, regardless of the nature of the charges you’re facing, you’re potentially facing severe consequences in the event that you’re convicted of engaging in criminal conduct. Working with a skilled, experienced criminal defense lawyer is the best way to ensure that your rights are protected and that you benefit from a favorable outcome to your circumstances, if at all possible.

Don’t Roll the Dice

If you are hesitating to hire a lawyer to defend your rights because you’ve “only” been charged with a misdemeanor or it’s your first time facing criminal charges and you’re anticipating that you will be treated with leniency, please pick up the phone and call an attorney right now.

As an experienced criminal defense lawyer – including those who practice at the Law Group of Iowa – can confirm, expecting that the charges against you will be dropped or that the consequences you’ll face as a result of a conviction “won’t be that bad” is a dangerous, risky, avoidable business.

Potential Consequences of a Conviction

If you already have a criminal record, having another offense entered on that record could lead to much more serious consequences than you’ve faced before. Many criminal offenses that are prosecuted in Iowa carry the risk of harsher penalties if an alleged offender has already been convicted of prior offenses. This is often true even if an alleged offender has “only” been charged with a misdemeanor.

If you’ve never been convicted of a criminal offense before, you don’t want to develop a criminal record. This is a risk that is simply not worth taking, period. If you’re convicted of criminal wrongdoing, you’ll potentially be sentenced to fines, a term of imprisonment, mandatory substance abuse treatment or anger management therapy, community service hours, a term of probation, or an “outlier” consequence, such as the suspension or loss of your driver’s license for certain traffic-related offenses.

Additionally, the stigma associated with a criminal conviction could prevent you from obtaining employment, entrance to institutions of higher learning, housing, and even volunteer opportunities. While that last one may not seem like a big deal, imagine telling your child that you can’t accompany them on their school field trip because the administration of the school district thinks you’re a danger to their friends and teachers.

In short, you’re going to want to avoid a criminal conviction if you can. While no lawyer can guarantee the outcome of a case, mounting a solid legal defense is the best possible way to pursue a favorable outcome. Pick up the phone and connect with a criminal defense attorney in your area who has a stellar reputation. Then, do all that you can to preserve the strength and integrity of your case until it has been fully resolved.