San Diego Criminal Lawyers Blog
If you were arrested in San Diego and your crime is considered a misdemeanor, you may think that you do not have to be too concerned about the outcome of your case. Ideally, avoiding jail time and fines is always the desired end result. Even when a crime is just a misdemeanor, it can still have harsh repercussions.
It is critical to connect with an experienced San Diego criminal defense attorney after you are arrested for any crime. Understanding your rights and fighting to overcome your charges is incredibly important. Working with the right legal counsel in San Diego could be the difference between a clean criminal record and your freedom and costly criminal penalties that will have a negative impact on your life over the long term. David M. Boertje is a California criminal defense attorney who can examine your case and help you after your arrest.
The Negative Im[plications of a Misdemeanor Conviction in California
If convicted of a misdemeanor crime, defendants could face:
- Community service
- Jail time
- Probation
- Costly fines
It is not just the physical punishments like jail time or fines that will affect your life. If your record is clean, it will not be any longer when a conviction takes place. Any employer, financial institution, or another party that wants to do a background check on you will see your conviction. This could mean that you will have a difficult time moving forward after your conviction. It may be considerably harder to:
- Get a loan.
- Be accepted into a school.
- Find a job.
- Keep your current job.
- Develop new relationships with others.
- Get financial aid.
- Have a housing application accepted.
These are just some of the struggles a person that was convicted of a California misdemeanor crime can face. It is certainly true, getting along in life is much easier without a criminal background.
It is possible to fight misdemeanor charges, especially if you have a talented and knowledgeable San Diego misdemeanor attorney on your side. Potentially the evidence against you was obtained illegally and can be thrown out. Another way to gain a favorable result is with a persuasive defense strategy. Some examples include:
- You were under duress at the time the crime was committed and could not avoid doing it without sustaining harm.
- You were compelled to commit the crime to avoid a much more severe crime from taking place.
- You committed a crime because you were acting in self-defense.
- You did not understand or intend to commit a crime and instead, the crime was a mistake of fact.
- Intoxication was a factor in the crime that was committed.
Speak to a San Diego Misdemeanor Criminal Defense Attorney
David M. Boertje is a San Diego misdemeanor criminal defense attorney that can evaluate your case and construct a solid and comprehensive defense plan on your behalf. To schedule a free, initial case evaluation with the California criminal defense attorney at the Law Offices of David M. Boertje, please call (619) 229-1870 for the San Diego office or (760) 476-0901 for the Carlsbad location.