Maryville Criminal Defense Attorney

Criminal Law Attorney for DUI, Violent Crimes, & More in Maryville, TN

Facing any type of criminal charge can be an incredibly stressful experience, especially if you have a lot to lose. Even a misdemeanor charge can have consequences that affect your career, education, or personal life. A felony charge can have even more of a permanent impact. People with felony convictions often struggle to find quality housing in a safe neighborhood, let alone a good job. Some types of criminal charges create more problems than others. Being arrested for DUI may result in the loss of your license and your ability to drive for a year or more, while a sex crime can bar you from working in certain fields or even living in certain places.

Attorney Lance K. Baker is highly experienced in defending clients and helping them mitigate the impact of criminal charges. Depending on the particular facts and circumstances of your case, he may be able to help you get a felony charge reduced to a misdemeanor, stay out of jail, or work towards a not guilty verdict at trial.

Crimes That Can be Misdemeanors or Felonies

Some offenses come in both misdemeanor and felony forms. If you are charged with the felony version of a crime that comes in a misdemeanor form, Attorney Baker may try to negotiate on your behalf to downgrade the charge. Common offenses that can be charged as a misdemeanor or as a felony include:

• DUI - First, second, and third DUIs are all normally misdemeanors, although repeat DUIs will typically result in harsher sentencing. A fourth DUI or BUI is a felony offense. You can also be charged with a felony DUI if you injured someone in a car crash. We can help address out of state DUI cases that may be either misdemeanors or felonies.
• Assault and domestic violence - Assault and domestic violence are misdemeanor charges in cases where an alleged assault was relatively minor. If you had a minor scuffle outside a bar and no one was really hurt, or if you allegedly pushed your romantic partner out of your way, you are probably facing a misdemeanor. However, either of these charges can be elevated to a felony if the alleged victim was seriously injured, if you allegedly used a weapon in any way, or if you allegedly interfered with a person's ability to breathe.
• Drug possession - Drug possession is most commonly a felony offense. However, you might face misdemeanor charges instead in cases involving a small amount of marijuana or THC products. You would likely be charged with a felony in cases involving with harder substances.
• Federal white-collar crimes - Most federal white-collar crimes, like bank fraud or health insurance fraud, are felonies. However, some of these offenses can occasionally be charged in misdemeanor varieties.
• Weapons violations - Offenses involving the possession or use of firearms or other weapons may be either misdemeanor or felonies depending on the type of weapon and the circumstances of a case.

Charges That Are Always Felonies

Crimes that are always prosecuted as felony offenses include:

• Kidnapping - This means unlawfully restraining someone in a way that puts them at risk of bodily harm.
• Murder - The intentional or sometimes accidental killing of another person.
• Burglary - Entering a building or vehicle intending to commit theft, assault, or any felony crime inside.
• Drug trafficking - Distributing an illicit substance, for profit or otherwise.
• Drug manufacturing - Cultivating, producing, or preparing a controlled substance.
• Child pornography - Possessing images of a child engaging in sexual conduct.
• Sexual assault - Making nonconsensual sexual contact with another person.
• Rape - Having nonconsensual penetrative sexual intercourse with another person.
• Online solicitation - Attempting to induce a minor to carry out an act that would be considered a sex crime or engaging in sexual discussions with a minor online.

Other Types of Crimes

Traffic violations may be resolved without criminal charges, but some offenses may be classified as misdemeanors or even felonies. Juvenile crimes may be resolved in juvenile courts without criminal charges, although certain offenses committed by young people, such as underage intoxication or DWI, may be charged as misdemeanors.

Contact a Maryville, TN Criminal Defense Attorney

The Baker Law Firm is committed to providing every client with the best defense possible. To get legal representation in your criminal case, contact us at 865-200-4117 for a free consultation.