Defending a Felony Charge in Wagoner County

A felony charge in Wagoner County is a serious circumstance. In addition to a prison sentence and stiff fines, a person charged with a felony in Wagoner County risks the loss of certain civil rights, such as the right to use, own or possess a firearm, the right to sit on a jury, and the right to vote.

Furthermore, if convicted of a felony charge in Wagoner County, a person will face severe employment consequences and will likely be unable to obtain professional licenses or gain employment in any position that involves handling money.

The first strategy for defending a felony charge in Wagoner County is to convincingly establish your innocence, or at least cast doubt on the evidence against you. Remember, it is the prosecution’s job to convince the jury of your guilt, beyond reasonable doubt. If the prosecutor fails to do this in the eyes of the judge or jury, you are likely to be found not guilty. If you cannot sufficiently establish your innocence or cast doubt on the state’s case against you, there are still a number of other things that your defense attorney can do to help you defend a felony charge in Wagoner County.

Getting Your Charges Reduced in Wagoner County

Firstly and most importantly, your attorney may be able to intervene early with the state attorney’s office to reduce the charges against you. Just because you have been charged with a particular offense doesn’t mean that the state has to proceed on those charges. If your attorney intervenes early with the state, there may be a possibility, depending on the facts and circumstances of your case, that the felony charge can be reduced to a misdemeanor. There may even be a chance to convince the state’s attorney to drop all of the charges against you.

Deferred Sentence, Suspended Sentences, and Downward Departures

You may be able to avoid a felony conviction if you are eligible for a deferred sentence. This means that, given your limited criminal history, the state’s attorney agrees to dismiss the charges against you if you plead guilty and agree to attend certain programs or to complete certain requirements. If you successfully meet the requirements after having your sentence deferred, you will avoid a felony conviction and the consequences thereof.

If you cannot qualify for a deferred sentence, you may still be eligible for a suspended sentence, whereby you plead guilty to the felony charge in Wagoner County and the judge agrees to postpone your sentence pending your compliance with certain conditions. If you fully comply with the conditions set forth by the judge, you will not have to serve time behind bars, even though you have been convicted.

If all else fails, you may also be eligible for a downward departure where, based on certain legal principles or mitigating factors, your attorney convinces the judge to sentence you to a lower minimum sentence than that which is required by the law.

Expungement

Finally, if you have successfully completed the terms of a suspended or deferred sentence, or have had your charges reduced to a misdemeanor or dropped entirely, you may later be able to expunge your criminal record and get rid of any evidence of a felony charge in Wagoner County. Expungement will allow you to further avoid the social stigma associated with having been charged with or convicted of committing a felony and to avoid the risk it may have on future employment, professional or educational opportunities.