The crime rate in the United States is declining. Not only that, we can see that these rates are dropping all over the world. Despite public perception, most of us live in a safer world than our ancestors did, as well as in other parts of the world. In the 1700s, the homicide rate was around 30 per 100,000 people. By 1900, it was under ten per 100,000. In the 21st century, most offenses have become less common. Certainly, this is something you can check pretty easily, there are a lot of public documents in every country that can confirm these claims of ours.
No matter what the statistics say, being arrested for a crime is still confusing and scary. Even people who are completely innocent are nervous when they are approached by a policeman. Naturally, we can connect this claim with the authority they represent. Exports from criminallawmi.com tell us that although many people accused of a felony rely on a free public defender, people facing serious charges often feel more comfortable hiring an experienced criminal defense lawyer. Certainly, hiring an experienced person will make less chance for you to get indicted. So what are some of the most common crimes that require their services?
Stealing Stuff
Although the violent ones get the headlines, property crimes have the numbers. It makes perfect sense that the officials don’t want to disturb the public by providing them with these numbers every day. However, you can be absolutely sure that the percentage of property crimes is the highest of them all. Naturally, there are all sorts of types. Across the United States, vehicle theft, burglary, and other offenses involving property, not people, are far more common.
Shoplifting or other types of theft are commonplace occurrences in small towns and big cities. Theft includes everything from pickpocketing a wallet to using a speedboat to ferret away a Rembrandt. Of course, penalties for these accusations are not as scary as some other ones you can face, but they are as unpleasant as any. Breaking and entering –– or burglary –– is using force to enter a business or private residence with the intention of theft. Stealing an automobile is another example of property crime.
The type of charges faced by a suspect depends mainly on the value of the stolen property. Lifting a pair of sweat socks from a drug store is a less serious felony than jacking James Bonds’ Aston Martin. In some cases, the court will call experts to help them establish the worth of the property stolen. As we’ve said, the penalty can significantly depend on the property’s worth.
More serious property felonies include robbery and arson. A mugger using force or the threat of force to steal could be guilty of robbery, while arson is often prosecuted as a felony. As you can presume, you can expect much higher penalties will be much severe. Of course, hiring a criminal defense lawyer is an absolute must.
Drinking Crimes
Driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the most common crimes involving a motor vehicle. It should be said that these crimes can be pretty dangerous if there are victims involved in the case. Although the bar used to be set at a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .10, like many states Michigan charges motorists with a BAC over .08. A motorist can be arrested if they appear impaired to the officer no matter what their level of intoxication.
Convictions can bring up to a $500 fine, 93 days in jail, 360 hours of community service, and/ or 180 days license suspension. There are enhanced penalties for BAC above .17.
Other drinking crimes include public intoxication and open container violations, although these usually have far lower penalties. We’ve mentioned the fact that an offense can be way more serious if there is something more dangerous caused by the accident, like someone losing his life.
Drug Crimes
Perhaps the most varied aspects of criminal law, drug possession carries vastly different penalties across the country. For example, from Alaska to Maine, marijuana possession has been legalized in over one-dozen states. In Michigan, its sale is regulated and legal. However, it is still possible to be charged with numerous felonies related to selling or possessing illegal drugs.
Recently, Oregon became the first state to completely decriminalize drug possession (although the sale of certain drugs remains illegal). However, there are a lot of different drugs that are not cannabis, and whose possession or selling could be considered as a pretty severe breaking of the law.
Money Crimes
Fraud, insider trading, and embezzlement are all common white-collar crimes. They include everything from a bookkeeper who falsified invoices to pocket a few extra paychecks to securities fraud involving millions or even billions of dollars. It goes without saying that the amount of money involved in the crime plays a major role in the penalty the person can receive.
Besides having to pay back those who were defrauded, someone convicted of a white-collar crime can be sentenced to prison. Professional licenses are usually revoked as well. It doesn’t really matter how big your case is, you will certainly need the help of a highly experienced attorney.
Crimes Against People
Violent crimes are usually prosecuted as felonies with penalties up to life imprisonment. These include sex crimes like rape, sexual misconduct, and solicitation. Convictions can often include requirements to register as a sex offender –– which greatly restricts both employment and housing availability. Certainly, these types of cases are usually found in the papers. However, the details are left out since the officials don’t want to disturb the public.
Attempting to injure someone –– or assault –– and actually injuring someone –– battery –– are two of the more common violent crimes. This category includes domestic violence. Murder, from manslaughter to homicide, is probably the crime that gets the most attention, while thankfully being one of the least common. No matter what the charge, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Proving one’s innocence usually requires a skilled attorney.
How Can Prosecutor Help You?
Different from many people’s opinion, it should be said that the prosecutor can have a pivotal role in releasing the accused of all charges or reduce the planned penalty. It makes sense to believe that hiring an experienced attorney can increase your chances of beating all the charges or get a reduced sentence or penalty. Plus, experienced lawyers have a complete understanding of the legal system, and, potentially, they can find some loopholes if there are any, of course.
In Conclusion
Conducting illegal activities surely causes some really unpleasant situations. Certainly, you are aware of the fact that nobody likes to be accused and arrested. However, it needs to be said that possibility of spending some time in prison is not the only thing people are afraid of. Also, there’s the blame and public image that will reflect on the person arrested and his family. If you find an experienced attorney, you can be sure that the case will be handled in the best way possible.
