Not all criminal charges are extremely serious situations with life-changing consequences hanging in the balance. In fact, the vast majority of criminal matters are extremely minor things, such as traffic tickets or noise ordinance violations. While these are criminal matters, you may not think they’ll have a significant impact on you, and therefore that you don’t need representation from a Mesa criminal defense attorney. What you may not realize is just how much gravity even a minor offense can carry.
Traffic Tickets
There are hundreds of ways you could be cited for a moving violation, including driving too fast, failing to signal, making dangerous lane changes, or failing to stop at a traffic signal or stop sign. While you may not think these offenses are a serious problem (the fines aren’t usually much more than a few hundred dollars at the most), what you may not realize is having the points for the offense on your driving record could lead to further penalties, including license suspension or even permanent revocation if you accumulate enough of them. Furthermore, the more points you have on your driving record, the more expensive your car insurance will become. If you have a history of traffic tickets, you should retain an attorney to help you have your ticket dismissed.
Innocence
If you’re innocent, you shouldn’t feel compelled to plead guilty, no matter how minor the charge may be. Penalties for even minor offenses can lead to consequences like fines and a permanent criminal record, and even contribute towards repeat offender status should you find yourself facing further accusations down the road. If you’re innocent, you should fight however you possibly can to maintain your innocence because you never know what may happen down the road.
Judges are Human
Judges have a commitment to administering justice, but as with everyone else they are human. If your judge is having a particularly bad day when you go to plead your case before them, you could be subject to a harsher penalty than you might receive on another day from the same judge. Having an attorney on your side can help protect you from the possibility of being burned by one of these bad days.
Get a skilled and experienced Mesa criminal attorney on your side to make sure your rights are protected! Call Naegle & Crider Criminal Defense Attorneys today at (480) 418-0776 to request a case evaluation.