{"id":3366,"date":"2013-12-09T09:02:18","date_gmt":"2013-12-09T15:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bgs.com\/?p=3366"},"modified":"2013-12-09T09:02:18","modified_gmt":"2013-12-09T15:02:18","slug":"charged-with-a-misdemeanor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bgs.com\/blog\/2013\/12\/09\/charged-with-a-misdemeanor\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are My Rights If I\u2019ve been Charged with a Misdemeanor?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Being charged with a crime does not deprive you of your rights. Indeed, being charged with a crime activates some very specific rights that will follow you throughout a criminal proceeding.
\nYou have the right to an attorney.<\/strong>
\nYou always have the right to hire an attorney. However, you may not automatically qualify for a public defender.
\nIf you are charged with a \u201cpetty\u201d misdemeanor there\u2019s no danger of jail time, so you won\u2019t be eligible for a public defender. If you\u2019re charged with a misdemeanor you could face jail time (90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine), so you could be eligible if you fill out a family financial application to determine whether or not you qualify.
\nEven if you are charged with a petty misdemeanor you may well still wish to have an attorney by your side.
\nYou have the right to a trial.<\/strong>
\nYou are presumed innocent unless the state can prove that you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. You always have the right to a trial before your peers.
\nYou also have the right to subpoena and cross examine witnesses as a part of this process.
\nYou have the right to remain silent.<\/strong>
\nThe right to remain silent is not just a television clich\u00e9. You can choose to remain silent. You don\u2019t have to testify in your own case. And anything you say can be used against you.
\nYou have the right to a written statement of charges.<\/strong>
\nIn a misdemeanor case you can always ask for a formal complaint, even if you\u2019ve been ticketed. This complaint will contain a lot more information about your charges, so it\u2019s rarely a bad idea to ask for one.
\nYou have the right to meet with the prosecutor.<\/strong>
\nThe prosecutor can add charges, dismiss charges, or amend charges. The prosecutor is the only person with this ability. Sometimes it can be productive to meet with the prosecutor, but you should have a qualified attorney by your side when you do so.
\nCharged is not convicted.<\/strong>
\nAlways remember that you have not been convicted yet. You do have options! Your criminal attorney<\/a> can advise you of those options. If you\u2019re in trouble, call BGS. We\u2019ve been helping people in the Minneapolis metro area who are in tight spots for over 75 years, and we can help you, too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Being charged with a crime does not deprive you of your rights. Indeed, being charged with a crime activates some very specific rights that will follow you throughout a criminal proceeding. You have the right to an attorney. You always have the right to hire an attorney. However, you may not automatically qualify for a public defender. If you are charged with a \u201cpetty\u201d misdemeanor there\u2019s no danger of jail time, so you won\u2019t be eligible for a public defender. If you\u2019re charged with a misdemeanor you could face jail time (90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine), so you could be eligible if you fill out a family financial application to determine whether or not you qualify. Even if you are charged with a petty misdemeanor you may well still wish to have an attorney by your side. You have the right to a trial. You are presumed innocent unless the state can prove that you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. You always have the right to a trial before your peers. You also have the right to subpoena and cross examine witnesses as a part of this process. You have the right to remain silent. The right to remain silent is not just a television clich\u00e9. You can choose…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Are My Rights If I\u2019ve been Charged with a Misdemeanor? - Barna, Guzy & Steffen, LTD.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.com\/blog\/2013\/12\/09\/charged-with-a-misdemeanor\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Are My Rights If I\u2019ve been Charged with a Misdemeanor? - Barna, Guzy & Steffen, LTD.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Being charged with a crime does not deprive you of your rights. Indeed, being charged with a crime activates some very specific rights that will follow you throughout a criminal proceeding. You have the right to an attorney. You always have the right to hire an attorney. However, you may not automatically qualify for a public defender. If you are charged with a \u201cpetty\u201d misdemeanor there\u2019s no danger of jail time, so you won\u2019t be eligible for a public defender. If you\u2019re charged with a misdemeanor you could face jail time (90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine), so you could be eligible if you fill out a family financial application to determine whether or not you qualify. Even if you are charged with a petty misdemeanor you may well still wish to have an attorney by your side. You have the right to a trial. You are presumed innocent unless the state can prove that you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. You always have the right to a trial before your peers. 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