Nashville Criminal Defense Lawyers

If you find yourself being arrested for a crime in Nashville, you need to find a good criminal defense attorney.  In Tennessee, if you are charged with a crime, there are several factors that will work in your favor.  However, having a good criminal defense attorney will work to your best advantage over using the services of a public defender.

Tennessee Penal Code

In Tennessee, the Penal Code was revised and updated in 1989.  As a result, many crimes and penalties are determined by the severity of the crime.  Additionally, the Tennessee prison system is severely overwhelmed and overcrowded.  As a result, many cases involving criminal charges are often dismissed or pleaded down to a lesser crime.  In Tennessee, the prosecutor is not limited to only proving that a crime has taken place and the person charged is guilty.  The prosecutor must also prove that the person convicted will not benefit from parole or some other form of penalty not including prison.  The end result for many individuals charged with crimes is that prosecutors choose to drop charges or plead down cases to lesser crimes because it is more cost effective and less time consuming for them.

• If you have been charged with a Crime, Submit your Case for a Free Review from a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Nashville. This website is for informational purposes only, and nothing stated here should be taken as legal advice.

Felonies and Misdemeanors

In Tennessee, crimes are divided into either felonies or misdemeanors.  Felonies are the most severe of crimes and involve serious property damage, serious bodily harm or substantial public harm.  Examples of felony crimes include possession of cocaine, heroin or other illegal substances (more than ½ ounce of marijuana), aggravated assault, aggravated theft, rape, manslaughter, murder, kidnapping, and grand theft auto.  Felonies carry the penalty of jail time of more than one year.  Misdemeanors, on the other hand, carry a penalty of a possible fine and jail time of less than one year.  Examples of misdemeanors include prostitution, DUI, malicious mischief, minor assault, minor drug possession (½ ounce or less of marijuana), public indecency and drunk and disorderly conduct.

Qualities of a Good Defense Attorney

Frequently, defense attorneys start out as prosecutors.  This experience works to your benefit when you have been charged with a criminal offense because he or she will know the pressures that prosecutors face when looking at criminal cases.  Additionally, your criminal defense attorney should have substantial understanding of the legal details of your particular type of case.  Criminal defense attorneys also will serve you well by giving you back your life.  They will free you from the worries that an overworked and underpaid public defender may present.  After all, they may hold your life in their hands.

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