If you are caught in possession of marijuana in St Louis, you should know that the state divides the infraction into three categories: Class C Felony if it was more than 35 grams; Class A Misdemeanor if it was less than 35 grams; Class D Misdemeanor if it was less than 10 grams. But more importantly, you should know what sort of consequences will come your way if you do not get it taken care of.
To begin with, there is the potential sentence that the court can hand down. For a Class A Misdemeanor, you could be facing up to one (1) year of jail time and a $1,000 fine. For a Class C Felony, you would be looking at up to seven (7) years and a $5,000 fine.
But that does not address the long term effects of such a charge. If you plead guilty, then it will become a part of your permanent record. This means that anytime you apply for a job, try to rent an apartment, or take out a student loan, it will show up as a drug conviction on your background check. And more than likely, you will thereafter be eliminated as a candidate for the job (or the apartment, and possibly the loan).
Pleading Guilty Is Not Your Best Option!!However, there is a much better way of dealing with this kind of charge!! Our team will want to examine all the facts of your case, explain all of your options and rights, and help guide you through the process from start to finish.
And we would primarily want to do this in one of two ways: 1) get the charges reduced to a minor infraction (like “littering,” which does not even show up on your record); or 2) get the charges thrown out altogether. Either way, these options are far better than pleading guilty!!
The affordable St. Louis criminal defense attorneys at The Bankruptcy Company have been taking care of criminal charges in Missouri for over ten (10) years. We specialize in making sure that your record stays clean, and so that you can move forward with life. And we want to do it all at an affordable price. The upfront fees for a misdemeanor charge start at $450. For certain felony cases, the fees are as low as $750. But the initial consultation to discuss your legal issues is free of charge. So contact us today to learn more!!
We have two main locations: in the Central West End of St. Louis, at 1 North Taylor (on the corner of Taylor and Laclede), 63108; and in the Twin Cities of Festus / Crystal City, at 1000 Truman Blvd (Highway 61/67), 63019.