With Violent Crime Charges in Minnesota, There is More to Fear than Fear Itself.

I’ve seen it countless times.  I walk into an in-custody courtroom where people are being held in jail and my job is to try to get them out.  Now you might imagine that this should be easy, right?  After all, there is the presumption of innocence and all that. That’s right. They didn’t do it until somebody proves they did it. Fat chance. I’ve also seen it happen with that same person who has no criminal record, a job, is established in the community, is a professional, everything.  And yet, the fight begins immediately because of one thing, the allegation of a violent crime.

Does the presumption of innocence really mean anything?

Violent crimes can be extraordinarily difficult for a lot of reasons but the very first one is the reaction by anybody who hears about the allegation, long before anybody has proven it or not.  The kinds of crimes that I’m talking about are things like Murder/Attempted Murder, Serious Assault with or without weapons, Sexual Assault, Terroristic Threats, Gun Charges and other types of assault charges. I’ve seen it in the faces of prosecutors, police officers, judges, other lawyers and most importantly juries. Some people are extraordinarily quick to judge even when they don’t know the facts. 

Do prosecutors treat violent crimes cases differently?

Because prosecutors see these cases as more serious and recognize the politics surrounding them, the media attention that some of them receive, the pressure from victims advocacy groups, the notoriety that some of those charged already possess, they are far more willing to spend resources, time and more extensive investigations into buttoning up their cases. They simply work harder on them which means defending them becomes far more difficult as well. I once had a murder trial where the entire back row of the audience gallery was filled with police officers who were just their to watch and to make their presence known to the jury. Yes, they take these things personally even if they are wrong. Contemplate what a jury might think as a result.

Can I really go to jail or prison for a first offense? 

Another extremely difficult reality of these kinds of charges is the amount of pressure that the government can put on people because of the potential sentences. Many of these charges are presumptive prison commits even without prior records.  That’s right.  Even if you have never had so much as a parking ticket, prosecutors and courts frequently assume that if you are found guilty of it, you are going to prison for a long time.  So, if you wonder whether you could end up in a prison cell for a first offense, the answer is yes. 

Is there anything else besides prison to be afraid of?  

While that is certainly enough to cause anybody pause but consider that some of these charges require extensive registration requirements as a serious felon or sex offender.  In fact, all of these and even some far less serious assaults and other crimes can have a catastrophic impact upon a professional license and sometimes the impact can be felt long before a jury ever hears the case.  

When Do you Really Need a Violent Crimes Lawyer?

If somebody makes an allegation against you for any kind of assault including domestic assault or other serious violent crime, you need to talk to violent crimes lawyer, sex crimes lawyer, domestic assault lawyer to understand what the ramifications of these allegations may have on your life.  

Jack Rice is a St. Paul based Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist who focuses his practice on these kinds of offenses.  As a former prosecutor, he has been on the other side of these kinds of charges.  As an experienced Minnesota violent crimes lawyer with decades of experience, Jack won’t just understand, Jack’s got your back.