It seems to easy and inconsequential to plead guilty to a minor drug charge. One single joint may have led to being arrested. In some instances, the prosecutor may offer no jail time at all to some defendants in the Brainerd area. The only punishment is probation. That seems like a good deal. That seems like there is no reason to hire legal counsel. That can be a serious mistake. If a minor drug offense results in probation, that still counts as a criminal conviction. A criminal record can make it much more difficult to get employment in many fields. Many landlords are reluctant to accept renters or roommates who have criminal records. That is why it is best for those charged with minor drug crimes to seriously consider hiring Criminal Lawyers Brainerd.
First of all, those who are charged with minor drug offenses should not assume that the state has enough evidence to guarantee a conviction. In many instances, the district attorney will file charges in which there is considerable uncertainty as to whether or not a jury will convict. Good Criminal Lawyers Brainerd can expose the weakness of many drug cases. Once those weaknesses are exposed, it is often possible to reduce the punishment to something that will not result in a criminal record.
Even if the case against a defendant is strong, Criminal Lawyers Brainerd can still get the punishment reduced in minor drug cases. For example, it may be possible to reduce the length of jail time or to reduce the length of the probationary period. If the drug charge will be the defendant’s first criminal offense, it may be possible to convince the prosecutor to let the defendant go into a diversion program. Upon completion of the diversion program, the defendant’s charges will be dropped with no resulting criminal record.
There are often lots of opportunities for more favorable outcomes when a defendant is charged with minor drug crimes after hiring Criminal Lawyers Brainerd. The important thing is to not assume that a criminal charge will automatically result in a conviction. Furthermore, a minor criminal conviction is often just as damaging as a criminal conviction for a major criminal offense. That is why hiring legal counsel makes sense even for minor criminal charges.
