Common Criminal Cases in Montgomery County
The following is taken from an interview with a practiced criminal defense attorney Kush Arora as he discusses the most common criminal cases in Maryland and what you should do if charged. To discuss your charges in more detail or learn more about charges in Montgomery County, call today and schedule a free consultation.
The most common criminal cases in Montgomery County are misdemeanor offenses such as driving under the influence of alcohol or while impaired by alcohol or misdemeanors such as possession of a controlled dangerous substance. Those are the most common because they are the most minor offenses. These kinds of misdemeanors don’t carry significant amounts of jail time and they also don’t carry really heavy penalties particularly for first time offenders.
What Happens After You Are Charged With a Crime?
Once the charges have been filed the person’s case will usually get a court date of some kind depending on what the severity of the charge is. It might be one court date or it may be multiple court dates. For example, a misdemeanor offense for driving under the influence of alcohol will usually be resolved at one hearing date.
Felony offenses like first degree murder take multiple court dates generally, before they come to a resolution. Separate dates for motion hearings, separate dates for preliminary hearings, and separate dates for trial are scheduled. One can expect that there will be numerous hearing dates depending on the kind of offense somebody is charged with.
What Are The First Things You Should Do?
The first thing that person should do is contact an attorney. That attorney will be able to offer advice on exactly how to respond to any allegations that come up against them as well as how to prepare for any damage control that needs to be done such as enrolling in alcohol programs, drug education programs, things that might make the penalties that they face far less severe.
The Impact on Your Immigration Status
Criminal charges can affect one’s immigration status. Before a judge would ever hear a plea from an individual in Montgomery County the judge will always make sure that the individual understood that there were immigration consequences that could be a result of any guilty plea or guilty finding in the criminal court. If that individual had questions he would be ordered by the judge to seek immigration counsel before making any kind of decision in the criminal case.
At our firm, we have an immigration attorney who can help consult on these complex immigration issues that may intersect with your criminal case. We understand that common criminal cases in Montgomery County often carry many more complications than the criminal proceedings themselves. Contact us today for a free consultation.