Understanding the Federal Sentencing Guidelines Established in 1984, the Sentencing Reform Act created the United States Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Before this time, federal judges had much more discretion regarding how to sentence people convicted of criminal offenses. Unfortunately, this discretion sometimes led to unequal sentences for the same criminal offense. The sentencing guidelines, however, helped… Read More
Answering the Question: What Does Pleading No Contest Mean? A no contest plea is a type of plea used in criminal proceeding as an alternative to the more traditional guilty or not guilty plea. Also sometimes known as a nolo contendere plea, a no contest plea is the equivalent of a person stating that he… Read More
What to Consider When You Plead Not Guilty When a person decides to plead not guilty, he or she is informing the prosecution that a case will proceed to trial and involve much more complex decisions. Even after choosing to plead not guilty, it is common to feel uncertain about what will occur in your… Read More
Options After Post-Conviction There are a number of possible options for a criminal defendant post-conviction, and an experienced criminal defense lawyer can help make sense of them all. While being convicted of a criminal offense can create some substantial obstacles in a person’s life, there are some ways to greatly decrease the resulting impact. The… Read More
Choosing a Defense Attorney to Appeal Your Case To select a defense attorney for your appellate case, it is critical to have a firm understanding of what the appeal process involves and to fully research the attorneys who offer appellate services. If you are currently faced with the option of pursuing an appeal, you should… Read More
Ways to Get Your Case Dismissed You might be surprised to learn that not every defendant who is charged with a crime will end up in a trial or accepting a plea. Instead, some cases end up dismissed by either a court of law or the prosecution. One of the first steps that many criminal defense… Read More
What You Need to Know About a Felony Arraignment Being charged with a criminal offense can be an overwhelming experience. There is a risk that effects from these charges can end up following you for the rest of your life if not properly handled. By understanding as much as possible about the criminal process, however,… Read More
Understanding the Criminal Trial Process No matter if you are facing charges for a misdemeanor or felony, one of the first questions that you might ask is, “What can I expect from the criminal trial process?” Many people find the criminal trial process confusing and even scary. It is helpful to have a good understanding… Read More
What You Should Know About Appealing a Conviction Being convicted of a criminal offense has the potential to significantly change your life. Many people report that being convicted of a criminal offense results in substantial obstacles in their professional and personal lives. If you are convicted of a criminal offense, you can face prison time… Read More
Being arrested fills most people with a number of uncomfortable emotions including fear, stress, and confusion. To make matters even more difficult to navigate, things tend to develop quickly following an arrest, and in many cases, it can be difficult to understand what to do. As a result, many people find that it is tempting… Read More