Steps You Need to Take If You Have Recently Been Accused of a Felony

To avoid having serious felony consequences follow you, you need to be aware of the steps below and retain an experienced attorney. First of all, exercise your right to remain silent wherever possible. The fifth amendment of the constitution gives everyone the right to refuse to incriminate themselves in criminal cases. The best way to avoid incriminating yourself is to remain silent.
Refuse to answer any questions when you are taken into custody, remain calm and polite. If you believe, however, that you are wrongfully arrested or that your rights were violated in the process of the search or arrest, do not attempt to argue with the officers or resist arrest. This could lead to additional charges being filed if you’re not careful. Another important step you need to take if you have been assessed with felony charges is to contact an attorney immediately.
The prosecutor will know all of the technicalities of the law that you are unlikely to know and may attempt to encourage you to accept a plea bargain that seems like your best option. Having your own criminal defense attorney to assist you, however, evens the playing field and allows you to avoid taking what seems like an easy deal without carefully considering the consequences. The next thing to know about facing felony charges is to be aware of the felony offense you’re facing.
Most people do not realize the differences between a misdemeanor and a felony, meaning that they do not understand the severity of the crime of which they have been accused as well as the potential consequences if they are ultimately convicted. Misdemeanors are typically punished by time in county jail, a fine, or both.
A felony, however, carries more significant penalties including a county jail sentence or a prison sentence and you may also have to pay restitution to the victim of the crime. Never post bail in a felony case without first speaking to your criminal defense attorney. Many of your loved ones may be interested in posting bail for you as soon as you have been arrested. However, you should first allow your criminal defense attorney to review the facts of your case and identify whether or not you could be released without having to post bail or be subject to a bail reduction.
Only an experienced criminal defense attorney can tell whether or not this applies in your individual case and your defense lawyer can tell you more about whether or not the charges are likely to be dropped at the arraignment hearing. You would be released from custody within a few days after that if this occurs. Scheduling a consultation with an experienced attorney is the next step that you must take to protect yourself.