Benefits of Hiring a Criminal Defense Attorney in St. Louis, MO - for as little as $450

If you make the decision to represent yourself on a criminal charge, then the court will treat you the same way it treats any other lawyer. In other words, if you do not retain a St. Louis criminal defense attorney to stand by your side, the judge will act as if you are the attorney. He or she will speak to you in a manner that is very stiff and cold. And he or she will ask you questions that you very likely will not understand, such as: “What sort of plea would you like to enter?”, “Do you wish to set a date for trial?”, and “Are you prepared to move forward with a preliminary hearing?” If this list of questions has you shaking your head as you read them, just think of how you would feel if you are standing in a courtroom before the judge (with about a hundred people staring at you).

The other negative consequence of representing yourself is that most people in this situation do not realize that they have more options than simply pleading guilty. As described above, one of the first questions that the judge will ask you is “What sort of plea would you like to enter?” Or at least that is the way the question should be asked. More often than not, the judge will ask the question this way: “Do you wish to enter a plea of guilty?” Once this question is asked, the judge will just stare at you and wait for an answer. Most people have no idea what to do at this point, and become incredibly nervous. And without anyone there to help them (like a St. Louis criminal defense lawyer), they blurt out “Yes, I want to plead guilty.”

If you plead guilty to the charge, the conviction will become a part of your permanent record. This in turn will make it very difficult for you to get a decent job in the future, rent an apartment, or even secure a student loan (and if you are currently receiving any governmental benefits, like unemployment security, food stamps, or public housing, you can expect those benefits to end as a result of the conviction).

On the other hand, you could avoid all of the negative outcomes described above by simply retaining the services of a good attorney. And all you have to do is pick up the phone and give us a call!! We are friendly to talk with, and we have been doing this for awhile!!

The affordable St. Louis criminal defense attorneys at The Bankruptcy Company, have been helping people with their misdemeanor charges for over ten (10) years. Our goal is to make sure that the charges leveled against you do not stay on your permanent record, and do any lasting damage. And we want to do all of this at an affordable price. The fees for a typical misdemeanor case start at $450. But the initial consultation to discuss your legal issues is free of charge. So contact us today!!

We have two main locations: in the Central West End of St. Louis, at 4500 West Pine (on the corner of Taylor and Pine), 63108; and in the Twin Cities of Festus / Crystal City, at 1000 Truman Blvd (Highway 61/67), 63019. The initial consultation is free of charge. So contact us today to learn more!!