Any criminal conviction can affect your life for years to come, in ways you might not consider. That’s why it is always makes sense to speak to a criminal defense attorney about your legal options, even for minor offenses like drug possession or shoplifting. If you have a reasonable chance to beat a criminal charge in court, the lawyers fees may be the best money you ever spent.
As mentioned on the widely read blog andrewsullivan.com, a woman notes that her son was busted for possession of marijuana in Houston. At the time, the sentence (no jail time, probation) may have seemed like no big deal. But at some later point, her son was rejected for a job at WalMart due to the criminal conviction.
With online background checks costing next to nothing, and becoming a routing business practice for employers, landlords, volunteer organizations, or anyone else, criminal records are easy to find.
Technically, all criminal records are public records, and it is perfectly plausible that your name and criminal charge could show up in a google search, if not now, than sometime in the future.
Of course, not all criminal charges can be beaten, even by the best criminal defense lawyers. But many can. It is absolutely worth looking into it, and exploring every possible option to avoid a criminal charge.
If a lawyer tells you that for a fee of a couple thousand dollars, you have a 50/50 chance of not living the rest of your life as a convicted criminal, it is something you should seriously consider.
Especially for a young person, with a bright future ahead. The consequences of any conviction on a permanent record could end up being treated even more harshly in the future.
But the only time you can do anything about it is before agreeing to plead guilty in criminal court.
