Minneapolis Failure To Appear Defense Lawyer
If you miss a court date, you could be facing criminal charges in addition to the ones you are already facing. The possibility of facing additional charges may have you rather worried in addition to the fact there may be an outstanding warrant for your arrest.
When you fail to show up for your court date, you may not want to return to the court out of confusion or fear of what may happen to you. However, there may have been a perfectly logical reason why you missed the court date. Perhaps you do not live in Minnesota or you do not live in the U.S. and couldn’t get back. Perhaps you were traveling for work, you were ill, or there was another reason. Regardless of the reason, failure to appear is a matter that you need to deal with before the issue becomes an even bigger problem.
Helping You Face The Charges
If there is a warrant for your arrest, it is almost certain that the police will eventually find you, even if they don’t do so until years later. Your driver’s license and your name could be flagged. Nowadays, the technology to find people is more advanced than it used to be. Law enforcement agencies are also becoming more apt to share their databases with agencies that are in other states.
Of the hope is that the statute of limitations will run out, it won’t. There is no statute of limitations if you are considered a fugitive. This is why acquiring the services of a Minneapolis criminal defense attorney is the best course of action so that you can face the charges.
Challenging Possible Failure To Appear Consequences
Minnesota’s laws regarding failure to appear are rather tough and the sentence depends on the initial charge that was to be heard in court. For instance, failure to appear on a felony charge could result in one year and one day in prison and a fine of $1,500. This is considered the mandatory minimum sentence for failure to appear. The judge is not able to sentence for a lesser penalty on a felony failure to appear.
Another example of how the sentencing works in this case, a felony charge that carries up to 20 years in prison could result in a failure to appear conviction with a sentence of 10 years in prison.
In a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor failure to appear, the potential jail sentence is 90 days and the fine is up to $1,000. Showing the facts in the matter so you can avoid the penalties, if possible, is why you need an experienced Minnesota criminal defense lawyer to help you.
Contact A Minneapolis Criminal Defense Lawyer
There can be many reasons why a person fails to appear in court. If you are accused of failure to appear, you want to put the matter behind you. However, pleading guilty to the charge is not an effective way to do so, as it can have heavy implications for your future. By working with an experienced attorney, you can present evidence in your favor that shows why you should not be given the maximum consequences. To find out how the Anderson Law Firm, PLLC can help you, call today at 952-582-2904 for a free consultation.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this article does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Please contact attorney Kirk Anderson for an initial consultation.