{"id":481,"date":"2022-07-13T09:37:46","date_gmt":"2022-07-13T16:37:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/?p=481"},"modified":"2022-07-13T09:37:47","modified_gmt":"2022-07-13T16:37:47","slug":"do-i-need-a-lawyer-for-a-misdemeanor-charge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/do-i-need-a-lawyer-for-a-misdemeanor-charge\/","title":{"rendered":"Do I Need a Lawyer for a Misdemeanor Charge?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Documents<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There are two types of crimes one can be charged with in the\nstate of Maryland: felonies and misdemeanors. As the most serious of the two\ncrimes, felonies are usually attached with more severe and long-lasting\nconsequences. This knowledge can steer individuals towards electing\nself-representation when faced with a misdemeanor charge. Even though felonies\nare more serious, any <\/em>crime has the potential to impact your future and\nintroduce difficulties into your life. Let\u2019s take a look at a few of the most\ncommon misdemeanor charges in the state of Maryland, along with their\nassociated outcomes that an experienced criminal attorney can work diligently\nto reduce or remove altogether. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Traffic Related Offenses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For an in depth look at criminal traffic offenses, be sure\nto take a look at our recent blog\npost<\/a> on the subject. While the consequences of minor infractions such as\nrunning a stop sign or driving slightly over the speed limit are minor, they\nquickly ramp up for more serious misdemeanor level offenses. Our best advice\nhere is to strongly consider hiring an attorney if your traffic charge requires\na court appearance. This way, you can enjoy the peace of mind that you are\ntaking the right steps to minimize the chances of fines, license penalty points, license\nsuspensions, and even jail time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DUI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

DUI is also a misdemeanor offense in the state of Maryland,\nbut it is associated with several consequences that can have a notable impact\non one\u2019s life. In addition to mandatory participation in the state\u2019s ignition\ninterlock program, you could be charged a fine of up to $1,000 and be forced to\nserve a maximum of one year jail time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assault<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Maryland divides assault into two categories: first and\nsecond degree. While assault in the second degree is only a misdemeanor crime, it\ncan be met with the most severe consequences we\u2019ve discussed yet: a fine of up\nto $2,500 and up to ten years jail time. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theft<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Petty theft is another common misdemeanor crime in the state\nof Maryland. For such a minor charge, it could still cause complications in\nyour day-to-day life that could potentially be reduced with a criminal defense\nattorney as your legal counsel. At maximum, offenders could face fines and a\nmaximum of 90 days jail time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Law Office of Elizabeth Anu Lawrence Can Help You Minimize Misdemeanor Charge\nConsequences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\nThere are facts about each specific case that\ncan significantly reduce penalties if an experienced attorney who understands\nthis area of law presents the case. The Law Office of Elizabeth A. Lawrence\noffers high-quality legal representation, personal attention, and\nprofessionalism to help defend the harsh penalties of DWIs, DUIs, and other\nserious traffic offenses in Maryland and District of Columbia. Click here<\/a> or call (410) 986-0088 to consult with an\nexperienced attorney today.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A misdemeanor crime in Maryland is less serious than a felony, but does that mean you should represent yourself in the courtroom?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=481"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":483,"href":"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481\/revisions\/483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}