{"id":4731,"date":"2015-12-15T09:29:44","date_gmt":"2015-12-15T15:29:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bgs.com\/?p=4731"},"modified":"2015-12-15T09:29:44","modified_gmt":"2015-12-15T15:29:44","slug":"step-by-step-guide-can-i-get-criminal-charges-against-me-dismissed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bgs.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/15\/step-by-step-guide-can-i-get-criminal-charges-against-me-dismissed\/","title":{"rendered":"STEP BY STEP GUIDE: Can I Get Criminal Charges Against Me Dismissed?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Criminal charges will stay on your record. Getting these charges dismissed is the best way to beat a charge and finally be able to move on with your life. While the obvious choice is to <a href=\"https:\/\/bgs.com\/areas-of-practice\/criminal-defense-law\/\">hire a criminal defense attorney<\/a> to help you beat your charges, there are some vital steps that will need to be taken when a case goes to dismissal.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Understand Grounds for Dismissal<\/h3>\n<p>Dismissal may come from the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lack of probable cause<\/li>\n<li>Lack of evidence<\/li>\n<li>Illegal stop and search<\/li>\n<li>Improper filing<\/li>\n<li>Lack of key witness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Normally, dismissals will only occur before an appeal, but there is a chance that if an appeal is won, all charges will be dismissed.<\/p>\n<h3>2. View Your Options<\/h3>\n<p>As you now understand, there are various reasons that a charge may be dismissed. You\u2019ll need to build your defense based on these reasons. Let\u2019s take an in-depth look at each:<\/p>\n<h4>Lack of Probable Cause<\/h4>\n<p>There must be a cause for your arrest. If you were arrested for looking suspicious, this is simply not enough. There always has to be a reason to be arrested. If you were not caught in the act or did not match a witness\u2019 description, you may be able to get a dismissal based on lack of probable cause.<\/p>\n<h4>Mistake in Complaint<\/h4>\n<p>The officer that files a complaint must be the one to correct any errors that a complaint may have. In the event that the officer retires or dies and an error exists, the document cannot be edited by the prosecution.<br \/>\nIn this case, your charges may be dropped.<\/p>\n<h4>Illegal Stop and Search<\/h4>\n<p>Stop and searches must take place legally. This means:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An officer can only stop you for breaking the law.<\/li>\n<li>An officer cannot stop you based on ethnicity.<\/li>\n<li>Searches can only be granted when there is a reason, such as:\n<ul>\n<li>Intoxication<\/li>\n<li>Gun shots<\/li>\n<li>Emergencies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>An officer will not need a warrant under some circumstances. However, if there was no valid reason for a stop and search (i.e. you weren\u2019t speeding or breaking the law), the search may be deemed illegal even if a search proved otherwise.<\/p>\n<h4>Insufficient Evidence<\/h4>\n<p>A fairly self-explanatory reason. There must be evidence that a charge is valid. If there is not enough evidence, charges may be dismissed.<br \/>\nKey witnesses, such as the arresting police officer, may constitute evidence. If the only officer that was witness to the supposed crime is not present, the charges may be dropped because insufficient evidence is given.<br \/>\nAll of these options must be discussed with a lawyer. Every case is different, so the steps after this point may vary slightly.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Pleading Your Case<\/h3>\n<p>The final step is to require that the state prove the charges. The state carries the burden of proof. This will need to be done in the courtroom and is best handled with the help of a legal professional.<br \/>\nIf you lost your case, you can appeal it. In the event that you win the appeal, you may be able to get the case dismissed or enter a judgment of acquittal.<br \/>\nCall\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bgs.com\/\">Barna, Guzy &amp; Steffen<\/a> with any legal questions today at\u00a0(763) 780-8500.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Criminal charges will stay on your record. Getting these charges dismissed is the best way to beat a charge and finally be able to move on with your life. While the obvious choice is to hire a criminal defense attorney to help you beat your charges, there are some vital steps that will need to be taken when a case goes to dismissal. 1. Understand Grounds for Dismissal Dismissal may come from the following: Lack of probable cause Lack of evidence Illegal stop and search Improper filing Lack of key witness Normally, dismissals will only occur before an appeal, but there is a chance that if an appeal is won, all charges will be dismissed. 2. View Your Options As you now understand, there are various reasons that a charge may be dismissed. You\u2019ll need to build your defense based on these reasons. Let\u2019s take an in-depth look at each: Lack of Probable Cause There must be a cause for your arrest. If you were arrested for looking suspicious, this is simply not enough. There always has to be a reason to be arrested. If you were not caught in the act or did not match a witness\u2019 description, you may be able to get a dismissal based on lack of probable cause&#8230;.<\/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":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>STEP BY STEP GUIDE: Can I Get Criminal Charges Against Me Dismissed? - Barna, Guzy &amp; 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\/2015\/12\/15\/step-by-step-guide-can-i-get-criminal-charges-against-me-dismissed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"STEP BY STEP GUIDE: Can I Get Criminal Charges Against Me Dismissed? - Barna, Guzy &amp; Steffen, LTD.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Criminal charges will stay on your record. Getting these charges dismissed is the best way to beat a charge and finally be able to move on with your life. While the obvious choice is to hire a criminal defense attorney to help you beat your charges, there are some vital steps that will need to be taken when a case goes to dismissal. 1. Understand Grounds for Dismissal Dismissal may come from the following: Lack of probable cause Lack of evidence Illegal stop and search Improper filing Lack of key witness Normally, dismissals will only occur before an appeal, but there is a chance that if an appeal is won, all charges will be dismissed. 2. View Your Options As you now understand, there are various reasons that a charge may be dismissed. You\u2019ll need to build your defense based on these reasons. Let\u2019s take an in-depth look at each: Lack of Probable Cause There must be a cause for your arrest. If you were arrested for looking suspicious, this is simply not enough. There always has to be a reason to be arrested. If you were not caught in the act or did not match a witness\u2019 description, you may be able to get a dismissal based on lack of probable cause....\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/15\/step-by-step-guide-can-i-get-criminal-charges-against-me-dismissed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Barna, Guzy &amp; Steffen, LTD.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-12-15T15:29:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Adriel B. Villarreal\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Adriel B. 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While the obvious choice is to hire a criminal defense attorney to help you beat your charges, there are some vital steps that will need to be taken when a case goes to dismissal. 1. Understand Grounds for Dismissal Dismissal may come from the following: Lack of probable cause Lack of evidence Illegal stop and search Improper filing Lack of key witness Normally, dismissals will only occur before an appeal, but there is a chance that if an appeal is won, all charges will be dismissed. 2. View Your Options As you now understand, there are various reasons that a charge may be dismissed. You\u2019ll need to build your defense based on these reasons. Let\u2019s take an in-depth look at each: Lack of Probable Cause There must be a cause for your arrest. If you were arrested for looking suspicious, this is simply not enough. There always has to be a reason to be arrested. 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