Your Criminal Defense Attorney

Criminal Defense is a discipline of law that concerns itself with defending those accused of crimes. The criminal justice practice of a criminal defense attorney tends to specialize in two major categories of criminal acts: felonies and misdemeanors.

Felonies are usually punished more harshly with jail time and fines, while misdemeanors are often punished much less stringently with mild jail time, probation, community service and fines.

Misdemeanors & Felonies

Criminal defense attorneys handle the cases of those charged with felony and misdemeanor crimes and, in turn, defend their clients against these charges. While most criminal defense attorneys attend law school and many get initial experience working with a District Attorney or a state Prosecutor, many do not.

In searching for an experienced Colorado Springs Criminal Defense Attorney, it's nice to see an attorney with years of experience on both sides of the law.

Misdemeanors are punished by fines, probation, community service and light prison sentences. Because of the complicated legal system in Colorado, a criminal defense lawyer with experience defending misdemeanors often has many options at his or her disposal, including possible plea bargain agreements.

Penalties For Crimes Committed

Colorado state law provides for various penalties for a variety of criminal acts. The most severe penalties consist of mandatory minimum prison sentences and fines that are often applied to the full cost of any criminal defense attorney's services plus punitive amounts.

There is another option for those facing criminal charges, and that is to have the case expunged from their criminal records.

If the crime was committed at a time when state law did not allow for expunging criminal records, then a criminal conviction will appear on their criminal record. The good news is that there are many attorneys who specialize in expungement.

If you do not choose to hire an attorney who specializes in this field, then you will have to check in court to find out whether or not your record can be expunged. The unfortunate reality is that a verdict against you can still be registered against you even if your record has been expunged.

Aggravated Crimes

Many states also have what are called "aggravated crimes" laws. These laws can include any of the following: murder, rape, armed robbery, vehicular manslaughter, drug possession with intent to sell, conspiracy to commit a crime, theft charges, kidnapping, or aggravated burglary. If your criminal offenses had resulted in more than one felony count, then you may be able to have some or all of your felonies expunged from your records.

Again, it is important to note that if your criminal offenses involved a weapon of any kind, then you may not be able to have your weapons expunged. This is a matter that must be discussed with an experienced criminal lawyer.

A Criminal Defense Attorney On Your Side

In summary, even if you are not facing serious offenses such as those listed above, you may still want to consult a Colorado Springs criminal defense lawyer for advice on how to reduce your sentence, or reduce your fines and other penalty enhancements.

Laws change frequently and can cause severe penalties for those who are not aware of the new provisions. Laws regarding drug crimes, as well as other drug-related crimes, can make life very difficult for you and your family.

Ash McCuaig of The McCuaig Law Firm is an experienced, aggressive, and persuasive Loveland, CO criminal defense attorney who puts his behind-the-scenes knowledge to work for his clients in protecting their futures and their freedom.