Atlanta Misdemeanor Crimes Attorney
Jeff Manciagli is an Atlanta misdemeanor crimes attorney who has successfully defended many clients charged with misdemeanor offenses. Most people do not take misdemeanor crimes seriously. However, these types of crimes can have long-term affects on school acceptance, job opportunities, loans, getting a professional license and many more important aspects of your life. A misdemeanor can result in serious repercussions so it is important that your attorney be aggressive and know how to address the aspects of your case in order to get it resolves in a way that will not affect your future success.
There are many types of misdemeanor crimes that can result in a local jail sentence of up to a year, probation, community service, fines, or more serious consequences if a person has a previous record of crimes. In some cases, the misdemeanor may be enhanced to a felony charge if you have other crimes on your record.
Among the most common types of misdemeanors are:
- Shoplifting
- Trespassing
- Petty theft
- Public intoxication
- Simple assault
- Disorderly conduct
- DUI first offense
- Trespass
- Vandalism
- Drug possession
- Reckless driving
To make trial and sentencing easier and faster, most courts have different classes of misdemeanors. Class 1 and 2 misdemeanors normally involve a jail sentence of 6 to 12 months; Class 3 and 4 misdemeanors normally are paid by a fine for the first offense. Some misdemeanors are not classified such as possession of marijuana which can be punishable by both jail and a fine. When you commit misdemeanor crimes, you will either be arrested at that time or given a citation that requires you to appear in court. In either case, you will be given the specific charge and what law has been broken.
A good attorney will review the charges or complaint that has been filed by the prosecution and advise you of whether to enter a guilty or not-guilty plea. Some people wait until their arraignment to request an attorney, however having an attorney with you when the arraignment takes place will make the process move much more easily. At this time you will be provided with the bail amount for the misdemeanor crimes or be allowed to leave on your own recognizance (promise to appear at future hearings).
There will be several pre-trial conferences and your attorney will file motions regarding your charges. In many cases, your attorney will work diligently to have the charges dropped at this stage of the proceedings and will keep you posted of what happens during the meetings. They may also discuss a plea agreement that will result in a more beneficial resolution to your case which you will be given an opportunity to accept or decline. If an agreement is reached during this phase, the trial will be fairly short and you will know what the outcome of the trial will be. However, if it is not resolved, a trial will be scheduled that may involve a jury.
Because of the complexity of the legal process regarding misdemeanor crimes, your attorney will make sure that your best interests are represented and that you receive a fair trial. They will be very aggressive to make sure that the constitution is followed and all of your rights are adherred to. In addition, your attorney will work carefully with you so that you know what to expect and how your case is going throughout the process.
Jeff Manciagli has nearly 2 decades of experience with all types of misdemeanor and felony offenses and can successfully defend you for whatever misdemeanor offense you are facing. When you retain the services of a good Atlanta misdemeanor crimes attorney, you can be very optimistic that a favorable outcome will be reached.