To continue with the criminal defense practice area information, we will begin looking at some of the less heinous but still serious charges that attorneys will defend against during the average career. The less shocking nature of these crimes does not necessarily reduce the likelihood of incarceration, and some of these cases carry much heftier monetary fines than the violent crimes. The major difference is the public opinion in these cases, and the social stigma associated therewith.
Drug Crimes
Most of us can name the majority of charges related to illegal or prescription drugs, from cocaine to marijuana and prescription pills. These are serious crimes, and can be classified as misdemeanors or felonies, often depending on the person’s perceived intent and the quantity of the drug in question. The difference between the intent to sell and insignificant amounts used for personal use are drastically different, often making a huge difference in the term of imprisonment and the likelihood of probation. Furthermore, the difference between federal drug charges and state drug charges and the laws driving those charges take a specialized background to understand and defend.
Common drug charges include drug possession, cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, trafficking, and prescription fraud cases. The case may become a federal one when crossing state lines or international borders is concerned, and these trials are separate from state cases and take place in federal court where the penalties are often much more severe.
Property-Related Charges
Often, crimes against property are overlooked in deference to the more people-oriented crimes, but these crimes should be viewed as very serious and affect the lives of thousands of people yearly. They include such charges as arson, burglary, theft, larceny (petty or Grand), robbery, and similar cases. The value of the property is the major determining factor between misdemeanors and felonies in these cases.
White Collar Crimes
Aside from the popular television show, white collar crimes are often classified as technology-based crimes, since they normally involve some form of technological deception. From money laundering to identity theft, they affect victims in an entirely different manner than every other type of crime classification, since they normally involve money in some form. They range from welfare fraud to extortion, and carry state and federal sentences in some cases, depending on the circumstances, the crime, and the victim in question.
Traffic-Related Crimes
Although most of us automatically think of tickets and similar issues when we think of traffic charges, a few are so serious as to require legal representation. This includes serious charges such as vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving or reckless endangerment, DUI, DWI, and so on. Without professional representation, you face a conviction that will still follow you the rest of your life, regardless of whether the crime is classified as a felony or misdemeanor.
Miscellaneous Crimes and Charges
Some cases involve crimes committed against a much more general group of people, and others are lesser versions of more serious crimes that fall under a completely different category. This normally includes crimes against an ethnicity (racially-motivated crimes), accessory or accomplice charges, and cases involving conspiracies to name a few. The sphere of influence is simply too broad to categorize the crimes, since there are so many case-specific factors that set these cases apart, and they often fall into a miscellaneous category instead of the more distinct ones.
