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205-981-2450
By contacting our team of misdemeanor lawyers, you gain an experienced criminal defense attorney who is not battling case overload. You gain a lawyer who will investigate and analyze the misdemeanor charges against you, looking for constitutional, technical, and substantive defenses.
Our misdemeanor lawyers have the time, skills, and resources to fight the misdemeanor charges against you, whether this is a first-time misdemeanor offense or your third. To schedule your free consultation, call us at (205) 981-2450 or use our online form.
A misdemeanor is a low-level criminal offense. Anything less serious than a misdemeanor is called a violation. More severe crimes are charged as felonies.
In Alabama, there are three classes of misdemeanor. Each class has a different maximum misdemeanor sentence, including jail time and fines.
You should talk with a misdemeanor attorney as soon as possible about the level of the charge and the potential penalty if convicted.
At Alabama Criminal Lawyers, we are here to help you when you are facing misdemeanor charges for:
Misdemeanors are considered less serious crimes than felonies, but if you are convicted, they can still lead to time in jail.
You can be sentenced to up to one year in the county jail or hard labor for the county for a class A misdemeanor.
You can be sentenced to up to six months in the county jail or hard labor for the county for a class B misdemeanor.
You can be sentenced to up to three months in the county jail or hard labor for the county for a class C misdemeanor.
If you are charged and convicted of a violation, the lowest possible offense, then you can be incarcerated in the county jail for up to 30 days.
You should speak with a misdemeanor lawyer about alternatives to incarceration. Depending on the misdemeanor crime you were convicted of and your criminal history, the judge may grant you probation instead of some or all of your jail time. You also may need to endure house arrest or electronic monitoring.
In addition to incarceration, you will be fined for a violation or misdemeanor. For a Class C misdemeanor, you can be fined up to $500. For a Class B misdemeanor, up to $3,000; and for a Class A misdemeanor, up to $6,000.
Or, if your offense caused another person or business a financial loss, or gave you an unlawful gain, then you can be fined up to double the amount of your gain or the victim’s loss.
For a violation, you can be fined up to $200 or any amount less than twice your unlawful gain or the victim’s financial loss.
When you are convicted of a misdemeanor, the judge will use an Alabama sentencing standard worksheet. Which worksheet the judge uses depends on the crime you were convicted of, such as whether it was a drug offense, property crime, or crime against a person.
The judge will use your most serious current conviction, your prior record, and any mitigating or aggravating circumstances to fill out the worksheet. This will provide a score and a presumptive range of incarceration.
If you have been previously convicted of one or more misdemeanors, then this will be considered by the judge. Previous convictions increase the likelihood that you will receive a longer term of incarceration and higher fine, potentially up to the maximum allowed by law.
If you live outside of Alabama, but you were arrested and charged with a misdemeanor while visiting or driving through the state, then you need to hire a local misdemeanor lawyer to handle your case. At Alabama Criminal Lawyers, we handle misdemeanor charges for out-of-state defendants.
If you are an Alabama resident who has been charged with a misdemeanor in another state, then the best course of action is to look for an experienced defense attorney in that area who can represent you in court.
At Alabama Criminal Lawyers, we often receive calls from individuals with a misdemeanor conviction on their record who want to know if they can get their record expunged or sealed. Expungement is a legal process through which a prior record is erased and no longer public record.
Alabama only allows non-convictions to be expunged. In other words, if you were arrested but not charged with a misdemeanor, or you were charged but the charges were dismissed or you were acquitted, then you should talk with a lawyer about expungement.
You may be able to have the record of the arrest and charges removed. However, you may need to wait at least two years from the date the misdemeanor charges were dismissed or you were acquitted.
When you are arrested for a crime, or you know the police suspect you of a crime, the best thing you can do is contact Alabama Criminal Lawyers. We will thoroughly review the allegations and evidence against you. If you are facing a misdemeanor, then a misdemeanor lawyer will determine the strongest possible defense.
We may fight to have the charges dismissed based on insufficient evidence. If the charges move forward, we may discuss with you the advantages and disadvantages of a plea, or we may encourage you to fight the charges in court. We will identify and pursue a defense specific to your case to increase the likelihood of an acquittal or to mitigate the consequences of a conviction.
When handling misdemeanor crimes, we may focus on obtaining you the least possible penalty upon pleading guilty or being convicted. We will strive to help you avoid incarceration and enable you to remain with your family and friends and continue working or going to school.
To talk with us about how to defend against a misdemeanor in Birmingham, AL, contact us online or call (205) 981-2450.