Criminal Defense Lawyer Lake County

Criminal Defense Lawyer Lake County

Being arrested and charged with a crime is a horrifying experience for many people, especially one being arrested for the first time. Regardless of whether the arrest is for the first time or more, immediate concerns for the person arrested is whether they will be going to jail or would they be able to avoid jail time. They must also worry about being required to pay fines. At Arshad Pangere Warring, LLP, our criminal defense lawyers in Lake County mount a vigorous defense against the criminal charges our clients face.

Collateral Consequences of Criminal Record

Besides facing jail time or fines or both, there are serious collateral consequences that follow an arrest and conviction. Some of these include the following:

• Employment. A conviction record is permanent unless it is expunged. A person who seeks employment may find themselves denied that employment because of the record of conviction. This is because some employers consider someone with a conviction record as not suitable for the job, especially if it is one that requires someone with a clean record.
• Education. Few students can pay their own way through college or some other educational institution. It, therefore, becomes necessary for many who seek further education to apply for loans or other financial assistance. However, having a criminal record can prevent favorable consideration of one’s application for a student loan or other financial aid.
• Stigma. Having a criminal record attaches a stigma that might stay with someone for life. With the advent of technology and evolution of keeping and accessing public information, a criminal conviction is only a few clicks away from someone finding out about it. This easy accessibility of the record can inhibit not only employment and education prospects, but also social life.

What a Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Do for You

As someone who has been charged with a criminal offense, you have certain rights under both the federal and Indiana constitution. As your lawyer, we make sure that those rights are protected, and if we find that any of the rights have been violated, we can use that as a basis to have the case against you dismissed.

Even in a situation where there have been no constitutional violations of your rights, we may still be able to convince the government to dismiss the charges against you if the circumstances warrant such a dismissal. 

If the prosecutor is unwilling to dismiss the case, then the next thing we will do for you is to try to have the charges you face reduced. This can have a big impact on the outcome of the case in terms of consequences in the event the government is successful in obtaining a conviction. We will do all of this under what is commonly referred to as “plea negotiation” – meaning that we will try to reach an agreement with the prosecutor to reduce your charges or penalties if you agree to plead guilty to the offense. If you decide not to plead guilty, we will fight your charges at trial in front of a judge or jury. 

If you have been arrested or charged with a crime in Lake County, Indiana, contact us today for a consultation.