Misdemeanors are any crime possible by less than one year in the County Jail, and are not infractions (fine only offenses). While imprisonment in the County Jail is authorized by law on misdemeanor offenses, an experienced criminal defense attorney can work to get charges dismissed, reduced, or placement of a defendant on probation or a diversion program that can lessen the negative impact of such charges.
While misdemeanors are less serious in many ways than felony charges, the consequences can sometimes be just as damaging to your way of life and future plans. This includes, depending on the nature of the misdemeanor conviction, denial of employment opportunities, arson or sex offender registration, denial of one’s right to own and possess firearms or ammunition under the Second Amendment (e.g., domestic violence cases), immigration issues, professional and driver’s license suspension or revocation, and many other negative repercussions.
Luckily, recent changes in the law have created avenues for many clients charged with most misdemeanors to have their cases dismissed outright through the participation in a diversion program, where a competent advocate can convince the magistrate that it is in the interests of justice, or where the client is a current member of the US Armed Forces. (See, e.g., Cal. Penal Code § 1001.95; see also Cal. Penal Code 1001.80). Even where such options may not apply to the particular client, an adept attorney may be able to resolve misdemeanor matters with the end result being an outright dismissal, short of a jury trial, through effective advocacy, in a plea bargaining process called “Informal Deferred Entry of Judgement”.
The knowledgeable, trial-tested attorneys at Honeychurch & Boyd have extensive experience in defending all types of misdemeanor offenses, and have achieved great results for their clients in these matters, including taking advantage of opportunities provided in the law as described above. If you are charged with any type of misdemeanor offense, do not hesitate to call Honeychurch & Boyd today for a free consultation to see how our effective attorneys may be able to help you achieve the best outcome for your case.