After an arrest, a JCS St. Louis criminal defense lawyer understands it’s normal to feel stress, anxiety, and worry about the future. What if your charges could be dropped? What about getting your charges reduced? What if you committed a felony but can avoid having the felony on your record?
There are many options available to you when you choose to fight your charges. We recommend that you speak with one of our experienced and effective criminal defense attorneys as quickly as possible – the consultation is free, so there’s nothing to lose.
We’re ready to fight for you now
We start fighting criminal charges early, sometimes even before charges are formally filed. You can and should feel more peace of mind knowing that your case will be given great attention by experienced and effective criminal defense lawyers who will fight for the best result in every case. Sometimes people hire a cheap lawyer because they don’t feel hope for the future. This can be a big mistake. Hire a St. Louis criminal defense lawyer who will fight for you.
We’re here to help. We fight charges and work to achieve the best outcome possible in each case we take on. Let us help give you and your loved ones the peace of mind you deserve. Call (314) 561-9690 now to schedule your free consultation.
We reduce or drop charges for all kinds of crimes
JCS Law helps people facing misdemeanor and felony charges for:
- Driving while intoxicated (DWI)
- Federal charges including drug trafficking, weapons charges, computer crimes, and fraud
- Property crimes, including burglary, robbery, and arson
- Drug crimes, including possession of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine, possession of other controlled substances, and drug paraphernalia
- Sex crimes and computer crimes such as child pornography
- Traffic violations, including CDL traffic offenses and driving while suspended or revoked
- Many more criminal charges
Yes, you need a lawyer even if you plan to plead guilty
No matter what you’re thinking now, you need a lawyer from the beginning of your case to protect your rights. Prosecutors generally save the harshest penalties for citizens who don’t have a lawyer or who have a public defender.
A St. Louis criminal defense lawyer from JCS Law can help you get a lenient sentence, minimize the negative consequences of your charge, or even get your case dismissed. Don’t try to handle this delicate situation on your own; let us put our experience and connections to work for you.
What are the different plea deals in Missouri criminal cases?
Amending or changing your sentence with a plea deal
The prosecutor has the authority to amend or change your criminal charge as part of a plea deal. For example, a felony DWI can be reduced to a misdemeanor. A prosecutor can also dismiss charges as part of a plea deal.
If you’re charged with 11 counts of felony theft, the prosecutor can amend those 11 felonies and replace them with one misdemeanor if your attorney works out an excellent deal.
No contest (Alford) plea
In Missouri, a no-contest plea is usually called an Alford plea (named after a famous Supreme Court case). If you enter an Alford plea, you’re stating that you believe the evidence against you would be overwhelming, but you’re not admitting guilt. An Alford plea is treated much the same as a guilty plea.
If you have a civil suit pending against you related to the criminal charges, you can use an Alford plea to take the benefit of a plea bargain in criminal court without admitting to wrongdoing that could be used against you in civil court.
What are the alternatives to jail or prison?
Drug Court
Many counties in Missouri, including St. Louis County, have alternative treatment courts for drugs and alcohol. If your criminal charges are the result of a struggle with drug addiction or a substance dependence disorder, “Drug Court” may be a good option because it can help you get and stay sober. There usually isn’t any jail or prison time as part of your sentence if you’re accepted into Drug Court.
Treatment courts can help people with addictions change their lives for the better and avoid prison. Drug Court typically lasts 18-24 months, during which time you are able to keep your job and live at home.
DWI Treatment Court
DWI Court is an alternative treatment court program available in many counties throughout Missouri, including St. Louis County. DWI Court is designed to make sure you give up drinking entirely and stay sober.
Intended for repeat and persistent DWI offenders, the program involves group and individual counseling sessions, testing, and a system of accountability. There’s usually no jail or prison time if you’re accepted into DWI Court.
In St. Louis County, one of the benefits of DWI Court may include getting a reduced charge after completing the program. For example, if you’re charged with a felony DWI and you successfully complete DWI Court, your charge may be reduced to a misdemeanor.
Like Drug Court, DWI Court typically lasts 18-24 months, during which you can live at home and continue to work.
What do I say to the police?
Do not make any statements to a police officer without first hiring a lawyer. Police officers generally have one interest–putting you in jail. Officers often lie to citizens and promise leniency if they agree to admit that they committed a crime. They don’t have the authority to make those promises. They do not keep them.
It’s not recommended that you make statements to a police officer without the presence of your attorney. Even my police officer friends have a policy when they get in trouble – talk to a lawyer before doing anything else.
What is the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor?
Felonies can be brought for a variety of charges and can carry a punishment of one or more years in prison. Felony charges should be handled by an experienced criminal defense lawyer.
Misdemeanors carry a punishment of up to one year in county jail. Sometimes people think misdemeanors are less serious, but they aren’t and should still be taken seriously. Depending on your situation, a misdemeanor can lead to job loss, jail time, restricted travel, and a permanent criminal record.
No matter what type of charge you face, it’s extremely important that you hire a lawyer to make sure that your rights are protected.
How we prepare for trial from the beginning
In each case we handle at JCS Law, a St. Louis criminal defense lawyer will begin preparing for trial the moment you hire us. Every step we take is in preparation for trial–whether or not you intend to go to trial. Being prepared for trial early makes it more likely that the prosecutor will give you a good plea offer.
If you don’t want a plea offer, then we are prepared to take on the prosecution at trial. We give you the opportunity to review the evidence in your case and listen to our recommendations as part of our preparation process. This allows you to make an informed decision about whether you want to proceed with trial or not.
Your first court appearance
You should plan to appear at your scheduled court date. If your lawyer tells you not to, that’s different because your lawyer can appear for you in some situations. Felony charges generally require you to appear at each court date.
Setting bond
If you have a warrant for your arrest, the judge will set your bond. If your bond is high, a St. Louis criminal defense lawyer from JCS Law can argue for a reduced bond. Often the judge will authorize you to post 10% of the bond amount. A professional bondsman can post a “surety bond.”
When a surety bond is required, you will need to pay a bondsman to post bond for you. They will then make sure you appear for your court dates with the promise that if you don’t, they will find you. If you need a surety bond, our attorneys have strong relationships with many bondsmen; we can often get you a deal to pay less than 10% upfront.
Change of venue, judge, or prosecutor
Change of judge
If filed within 10 days of your arraignment, Missouri Supreme Court Rule 32.07 allows you to file a one-time request to change your judge without an explanation or justification. If you are also seeking a change of venue, both requests must be filed as a joint motion.
Change of venue
When you don’t feel you would get a fair trial in a particular county and it has less than 75,000 inhabitants, you can request a change of venue as a matter of right. You don’t need to state any particular reason for the request, however, it must be filed within 10 days of when the initial plea is entered. The judge will be required to grant the change of venue and your trial will be moved to a different county.
A change of venue is often sought because the defendant will want to pick the best county from which to draw a jury for their case.
Change of prosecutor
There’s no rule that allows a change in prosecutor. Some counties have particular prosecutors assigned to particular judges. An experienced St. Louis criminal defense lawyer from JCS Law will be able to make recommendations if a change of judge might lead to being assigned a more favorable prosecutor.
Why you can trust our St. Louis criminal defense lawyers
If you or a loved one are facing criminal charges, you need an attorney who will put you first.
During your free consultation with JCS Law, you will speak directly to the attorney and he can advise you directly on what would be the best option for you or your loved one to fight the charges that are pending.
Call (314) 561-9690 or contact us online today to learn how we can help you.
FAQs
No matter what you are thinking now, you need a lawyer from the beginning of your case to protect your rights. Prosecutors generally save the harshest penalties for citizens who don’t have a lawyer or who have a public defender. A lawyer from JCS Law can help you get a lenient sentence, minimize the bad consequences of your charge, or even get your case dismissed.
Do not make any statements to a police officer without first hiring a lawyer. Police Officers generally have one interest- putting you in jail. Police Officers will commonly lie to citizens and promise leniency if you agree to admit to a crime. It is almost always a bad idea to make statements to a police officer without going through your attorney. Even my police officer friends have a policy when they get in trouble- and that is to talk to a lawyer before doing anything else.
Felonies carry a punishment of one or more years in prison. Felonies should be handled by an experienced criminal defense lawyer. Misdemeanors carry a punishment of up to one year in the county jail. Sometimes people think misdemeanors are less serious than they are. Depending on your situation, a misdemeanor may still be extremely serious. Misdemeanors can lead to job loss, jail time, restricted travel and a permanent criminal record. No matter what type of charge you face, it is extremely important that you hire a lawyer to make sure that your rights are protected.
You should plan to appear at your scheduled court date. If your lawyer tells you not to, that’s different. In some situations, your lawyer can appear for you. Felony charges generally require you to appear at each court date.
If you have a warrant for your arrest, the judge in your case will set your bond. If your bond is high, a lawyer from JCS law can argue for a reduced bond. Often the judge will authorize you to post 10% of the bond amount. A professional bondsman can post a “surety bond”. If a surety bond is required, you will need to pay a bondsman to post bond for you. They will then make sure you appear for your court dates with the promise that if you don’t, they will come find you. If you need a surety bond, our lawyers at JCS law have good relationships with many bondsman; we can often get you a deal to pay less than 10% upfront.
In each case we handle at JCS Law, we begin preparing for trial from the moment you hire us. Every step we take is in preparation for trial- whether or not you intend to go to trial. By being prepared for trial early, it makes it more likely that the prosecutor will give you a good plea offer. If you don’t want a plea offer, then we are prepared to take on the prosecution at trial. Some people prefer to have us analyze the evidence in their case before making a decision about trial. Giving you the opportunity to review the evidence in your own case and listen to our recommendations is part of our process.
If filed within 10 days of your arraignment, Missouri Supreme Court Rule 32.07 grants you one change of judge without you needing to justify why. It needs to be filed by your lawyer within that 10 day window. If you are seeking a change of venue as well, the change of venue and change of judge request must be filed as a joint motion.
If you don’t feel you would get a fair trial in a particular county, and it has less than 75,000 inhabitants, you can request a change of venue by right. The judge will be required to grant the change of venue and your trial will be moved to a different county. The reason for a change of venue is typically because you plan on a jury trial and you want to pick the best county to draw a jury from for your case.
There is no rule that allows a change in prosecutor. Some counties have particular prosecutors assigned to particular judges. An experienced St. Louis attorney from JCS Law will be able to make recommendations if a change of judge might lead to being assigned a more favorable prosecutor.
In Missouri, a no contest plea is usually called an Alford plea (named after a famous supreme court case). If you enter an Alford plea, you are stating that you believe the evidence against you would be overwhelming, but you are not admitting guilt. An Alford plea is treated much the same as a guilty plea. If you have a civil suit pending against you, you can use an Alford plea to take the benefit of a plea bargain in criminal court without admitted to wrongdoing that could be used against you in civil court.
Yes. The prosecutor has the authority to amend or change your criminal charge. A felony DWI, for instance, can be amended to a misdemeanor as part of a plea deal. A prosecutor can also dismiss charges as part of a plea deal. If you are charged with 11 counts of felony theft, the prosecutor can amend those 11 felonies and replace them with one misdemeanor if your attorney forces an excellent deal.
Many counties in Missouri, including St. Louis county, have Alternative Treatment Courts for drugs and alcohol. If your criminal charges are the result of a struggle with drug addiction, “Drug Court” can be a good option. Drug Court will help you get and stay sober. There usually is no jail or prison time if you are accepted into Drug Court. Treatment courts can help people with addictions change their lives for the better and avoid prison. Drug Court typically lasts 18-24 months. During that time you are able to keep your job and live at home.
DWI Court is an Alternative Treatment Court program available in many counties throughout Missouri, including St. Louis County. DWI Court is designed to make sure you give up drinking entirely and stay sober. DWI Court involves group and individual counselling sessions, testing and a system of accountability. There usually is no jail or prison time if you are accepted into DWI Court. In St. Louis County, one of the benefits of DWI court may include getting a reduced charge after completing the program. For example, if you are charged with a felony DWI and you successfully complete DWI Court, your charge may be amended to a misdemeanor. DWI court typically lasts 18-24 months. During that time you are able to keep your job and live at home.
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