Fort Lauderdale Criminal Defense Attorney
Fort Lauderdale Criminal Defense Attorney
At Rudenberg and Glasser, P.A., we understand how important your future and your freedom are. For this reason, we are available for counsel whenever you need. You can also use this FAQ page as a resource for your common criminal law questions.
If you are looking for further counsel or information on our firm, feel free to contact us at any time. We are available 24/7.
When you are arrested, you will have to go through arraignment. This is the time when you formally enter a plea, whether that be guilty or not. You can also enter a no contest plea. Most individuals choose to enter a not guilty plea to protect their future and pursue an opportunity to share their side of the story. If a not guilty plea is entered, the defendant will likely proceed to a pre-trial conference or pre-disposition prior to a trial.
We hear this question a lot. Applying for a job, housing, or even school loans can be challenging with a criminal record. While not every crime will be eligible for this process, there is a method for cleaning your criminal record. You may be able to have your record expunged if you qualify for the process. Even if you enter a plea that doesn't result in conviction or had your case dismissed, you may still have a criminal record. The expungement process can be very complex and can require the assistance of a Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney.
When your future is on the line, you want to pick the best defense attorney for your case. This can be challenging though, especially with the countless options available. One of the most important things to look at is an attorney's success and client-feedback. How have they treated clients in the past? Have they secured favorable outcomes for them? You will also want to look at their years of experience and their accessibility to their clients. At our firm, we have successfully handled thousands of cases and are available 24/7 to provide legal counsel.
Basically, a misdemeanor is a less serious type of offense. While felonies can result in life in prison or even the death penalty, misdemeanors can enforce no more than one year in jail. Often times an attorney can fight for a charge that appears to be a felony to be reduced to a misdemeanor, resulting in much less severe consequences. Misdemeanor offenses should still be handled by an experienced lawyer.
Many people don't understand that their rights are often compromised by offering too much information or making conflicting statements. If you are arrested, you have the right to remain silent until you have an attorney present. While you do not have to answer questions about your name, address, and other personal information, we encourage you to cooperate on these matters. When it comes to details about your arrest or the alleged crime, you should remain silent. By providing officers with the information they need, the process will likely go smoother.
Rather than serving time in prison, probation allows a person to remain in their community. Probation usually requires a person to regularly report to a probation officer, abstain from alcohol or drugs, and commit no further crimes. After a prisoner is released back into the community before the end of his or her sentence, they are placed on parole, also known as a supervised release. Parole conditions are similar to probation.
In order to ensure that a person charged with a crime appears at court, bail is a financial deposit made to the court. Often, a bail bond company posts the bail and the person charged with a crime may pay between 8-10% for this service. In some cases, a criminal defense lawyer may be able to negotiate a lower premium with the bail bond company, get the court to lower the bail amount, or waive bail altogether.
You always have the option of having a public defender appointed to you. Although his or her services may be free at first, later examination of your records by the court could result in them requiring you to pay for the public defender’s services. There is more to it than that, however. Public defenders are capable attorneys, but many don’t take the time or put in the same amount of work and effort that a private criminal defense attorney would. Over time, the services of a public defender may actually cost you more in the way of fines, jail time, and more. When your freedom is on the line, you need a trusted, proven defense lawyer behind your case. You need Rudenberg & Glasser, P.A.
If you have further questions or would like to take part in a free consultation, contact us today!