Ohio Criminal Defense Lawyers
If you are charged with a crime in Ohio, you may experience a number of negative consequences such as having your car impounded or spending a night in jail. If you are unable to post bail, you may remain in state custody for the duration of your case. This may result in the exacerbation of health conditions or an inability to care for a child or pet. However, your attorney may be able to help you secure your release pending the outcome of your case or take other steps to resolve the matter in a timely and favorable manner.
The Primary Benefits of Hiring an Attorney
One of the primary benefits of hiring an attorney is that you don’t need to communicate directly with the government. This is ideal because your advocate will likely know how to respond to a subpoena, a request for an interview or a request to examine electronic devices without incriminating you or expanding the scope of the case.
In some cases, your attorney may respond to a law enforcement officer’s request for an interview or for more information with a note saying that it won’t be provided without a warrant. It’s important to note that the government may actually be tipping its hand as it relates to what authorities know about the case based on how it communicates with your representative.
The attorneys at The Criminal Defense Firm have spent time working as government agents or as government prosecutors. Therefore, they will likely be able to understand what authorities are thinking when they ask you to speak with them. They may also be able to gain key insight into your case based on the charges that they decide to pursue compared to the ones that they don’t. Generally speaking, prosecutors won’t take a case to trial if they don’t think that there is sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction.
If you do need to speak to authorities, your representative will be there to ensure that your rights are respected throughout an interview or interrogation. Your attorney may advise you not to answer certain questions or step in if interrogators overstep their bounds for any other reason.
Put our highly experienced team on your side
Brian J. Kuester
Former U.S. Attorney
Former DA
Amanda Marshall
Former U.S. Attorney
Local Counsel
Joe Brown
Former U.S. Attorney
& Former District Attorney
Local Counsel
John W. Sellers
Former Senior Trial Attorney
U.S. Department of Justice
Local Counsel
Linda Julin McNamara
Former Chief, DOJ Appeals
Local Counsel
Joanne Fine DeLena
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney
Local Counsel
Aaron L. Wiley
Former Federal Prosecutor
Local Counsel
Roger Bach
Former Special Agent (OIG)
Chris Quick
Former Special Agent (FBI & IRS-CI)
Kevin M. Sheridan
Former Special Agent (FBI)
Ray Yuen
Former Supervisory Special Agent (FBI)
Dennis A. Wichern
Former Special Agent-in-Charge (DEA)
The Types of Cases We Handle
State authorities generally deal with cases such as theft, traffic offenses such as DUI, or cases involving assault or battery. It’s also possible that murder, arson, or similar offenses will also be tried at the state level. Sexual offenses will also likely be tried at the state level assuming that your crimes occurred within the state of Ohio.
While financial crimes may also be considered within the jurisdiction of state governments, they may be taken over by the federal government as an investigation plays out. Let’s take a closer look at some of these charges and what you might expect during the legal process.
Theft
Theft is generally defined as any act that intentionally and permanently deprives the owner of an item the ability to use or profit from it. For example, if you steal a television from a retail store, you have deprived the retailer of making money. If you steal a television from someone’s home, you deprive its owner of the right to enjoy a show, movie or other content.
Crimes Involving Violence
Assault and battery are often considered the same thing, but there is a significant difference between the two, and that difference is that you can be charged with assault without actually touching anyone. If you have been charged with murder or attempted murder, you may face many years or decades in prison. If you were committing a felony offense and someone died while it was in progress, you may be charged with murder even if you didn’t shoot, stab, or otherwise directly cause that death to occur.
Traffic Offenses
Ohio state law prohibits drivers from operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This means that you could be charged with this offense even if your blood alcohol level is below the legal limit of .08%. If the arresting officer thinks that you are under the influence, you can still get arrested and charged. You may also need legal counsel if you are charged with reckless driving or other offenses that are typically classified as more than an infraction.
Penalties Commonly Associated With Criminal Offenses
If you are convicted of a criminal offense, you may be sentenced to probation, jail or prison time, or a fine. There is also a chance that your driver’s license will be suspended if convicted of DUI or similar offenses. It’s also possible that you will be required to perform community service in addition to or in lieu of spending time behind bars. Finally, you might receive a suspended sentence as opposed to actually going to jail or prison. In such a scenario, you would avoid most or all penalties related to your case if you can stay out of trouble for a specified amount of time.
Factors That Might Determine Your Sentence
Your sentence will typically be determined by the type of offense you have committed and your criminal history. The judge in your case will also need to determine whether you are a danger to reoffend if not sufficiently punished for your actions. It’s also possible that the judge will show leniency if he or she determines that you are remorseful about what you have done.
Your attorney will likely take a number of steps to convince the court that you are remorseful and not a danger to reoffend. These steps may include presenting statements from character witnesses or allowing you to testify in regards to how sorry you are for your actions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the hiring process look like?
The hiring process begins by contacting our firm for your free consultation. After hearing your story, we will choose an attorney who best meets your needs and send you a written proposal. After the proposal is accepted, a meeting will take place where you can give us documents, make a statement, and take other steps to prepare your defense.
Should I talk about my case?
Ideally, you won’t talk about your case to friends, family members, or others who you may associate with. It is also not a good idea to post content related to your proceedings on social media sites. In fact, you may want to refrain from mentioning your situation in text messages or emails as those communications may be seized by the government in some circumstances. It is important to note that anything you say in private to your attorney is generally considered privileged information. This means that it can’t be used against you at any point and it can’t be used as a justification by an attorney for not adequately defending your interests.
What happens if I refuse to answer a question?
The Fifth Amendment of the Constitution says that you have the right to refrain from answering questions if there is reason to believe that you might incriminate yourself. If you are married to someone who is charged with a crime, you may also have the right to refuse to answer questions. As a general rule, choosing to invoke your right to remain silent cannot be used against you during the legal process.
Can you guarantee an outcome in my case?
Unfortunately, there is no way that we can guarantee any particular outcome in your case. The facts of the case and your preferred outcome will determine how we choose to defend your interests in court. These factors will also likely determine if you might consider a particular outcome to be a favorable one.
For example, if the state has powerful evidence that you committed felony murder, obtaining a plea deal that allows you to obtain parole may seem like an outstanding resolution to the case. However, if you were taken into custody on petit larceny, you may not feel as if anything more than probation or a fine is a proper resolution to the case.
What if I never intended to commit a crime?
Generally speaking, a prosecutor cannot obtain a conviction unless it can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that you intended to commit a crime. However, some criminal offenses do not require a showing of intent, such as reckless driving, which only requires a showing of recklessness, and DUI, which is a strict liability offense and does not require a particular level of intent at all.
Contact The Criminal Defense Firm for Help in Ohio Today
You can get in touch with The Criminal Defense Firm’s senior lawyers by starting a live chat on our website during normal business hours, or reaching out using our online form. Our firm can also be reached nationwide at 866-603-4540.