If you get charged with a misdemeanor and convicted, will you end up in jail? It’s a possibility. Even though most people think of misdemeanor charges as mild, there are many types of crimes that fall under this umbrella and they can be punished in a variety of ways. That’s why you should talk to a Des Moines criminal defense lawyer from our firm as soon as you can.
Get Help TodayThe main factor complicating matters is that there are actually three different types of misdemeanor charges in Iowa. In order from least serious to most serious, they are:
The more serious the crime, the worse the potential punishments.
This often depends on the type of misdemeanor you are charged with. The general guidelines are:
Simple: Up to 30 days in jail and a fine of $105 to $850
Serious: If convicted, you could go to jail for up to one year and be forced to pay a fine between $430 and $2,565.
Aggravated: This is considered the worst kind of misdemeanor. If convicted, you could end up facing a two-year prison stint and a fine of at least $850 and no more than $8,540.
If you have a record, we have even worse news. Some types of misdemeanors can be upgraded to felony charges. This means even worse potential penalties and longer prison sentences for a conviction.
Many types of crimes can be charged as misdemeanors. Some good examples are:
Depending on the nature of the crime, some of these can be charged as simple, serious, or aggravated misdemeanors.
A certain type of misdemeanor can potentially be expunged from your record. Usually, you can only qualify for expungement if:
The easiest way to keep a misdemeanor conviction off of your record? Hiring a lawyer and fight the charge as best you can.
An experienced attorney from our firm can take a closer look at your case and help you find the best defensive strategy. Maybe the traffic stop that led to a search and drug charges didn’t have a valid cause. Perhaps you have an alibi and could not have committed the crime in question. We will defend you as best as we can, and we can do everything that we can to help negotiate a lesser sentence that keeps you out of prison if it looks like the case is not going to go your way.
If you are facing misdemeanor charges and you want to do everything that you can to stay out of jail, contact Herting Law, PLLC. We can schedule a consultation and tell you more about how our lawyers can be of assistance.
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