Pleading Guilty Without a
Criminal Attorney
Should I plead guilty in a Utah misdemeanor case
without an attorney?
You should never plead guilty or no contest in any Utah justice court
or district court case without fully understanding your rights and the
consequences of such a plea. The best way to learn what your rights are
can be to consult with an
experienced
Utah
criminal defense attorney.
Even if your charges are just based on a citation or ticket,
once you plead guilty or no contest in a Utah court you give up some
very important Constitutional rights and protections. Perhaps more
important, by pleading guilty or no contest you subject yourself to
some potentially serious consequences. Understanding these rights and
the potential
consequences
of a plea is absolutely vital.
Even if you are seeking a quick
resolution
to your case and do not want to become involved in a drawn out legal
fight, having counsel from an experienced criminal defense attorney can
often lead to a better
result and better long-term
resolution.
Based in Salt Lake City, Stephen Howard provides legal services to
clients throughout Utah.
Contact
us today for a confidential consultation with Utah criminal
What can happen if I enter a guilty or no contest plea in a
Utah criminal case?
The first consequence of a guilty plea or no contest plea in a Utah
case is the entry of a criminal conviction on your record. There are
many criminal charges in Utah for which a police officer can issue a
citation without arresting the person. In some cases, the person may
not even realize that the citation represents a criminal charge.
Entering a guilty plea or a no contest plea will result in the entry of
a criminal conviction on your record.
Any criminal conviction carries the potential for jail time. Even just
a class B
misdemeanor
can be punished with up to 180 days in jail. While many
justice court cases may be resolved without actual jail time being
served, a criminal conviction can still carry other collateral
consequences.
For some criminal charges, a criminal conviction can affect driver
license privileges, the right to carry a firearm, employment,
professional licensing, and much more.
Can I just agree to a bail forfeiture and pay the fine?
This is one legal option for resolving a Utah citation. But before doing this, you should be aware that a
voluntary
bail forfeiture will be entered on your record as a
conviction and treated as though you had entered a guilty plea in the case.
Agreeing
to a voluntary bail forfeiture can save you a trip to court, and it may
avoid the risk of jail. But a criminal conviction, even under a bail
forfeiture, can impact other rights. Just as with any other criminal
conviction, a conviction resulting from a bail forfeiture can affect
professional licensing eligibility or employment, along with any other
collateral consquence of an ordinary conviction. It may also affect
future eligibility for
expugement.
Finding a Utah Criminal Defense Attorney in Salt Lake
If you
have been arrested or received a citation for a misdemeanor charge in
Utah, it is important to seek advice from an experienced
criminal
defense attorney before deciding how to handle your case. The
consequences of entering a plea just to "get it over with" can be
severe, and in some cases irreversible.
With extensive
experience handling both misdemeanor and
felony criminal cases in Utah,
defense attorney Stephen Howard has the knowledge, skills, and
determination to help his clients get the results they need.
Based in Salt Lake City, Mr. Howard provides legal services to clients throughout Utah.
Contact us today to
arrange for a confidential consultation.