Do First-Time Offenders Get Leniency in Indiana?
Whether this is your first time getting caught committing a crime, or if you’ve never commited a crime before in your life, you are probably wondering what’s going to happen next.
As a first-time offender in Indiana, you might receive a lighter sentence than a repeat criminal would, but this isn’t always the case. When you want to make sure that you have a shot at beating a conviction or avoiding a serious penalty, you need a qualified criminal defense attorney on your side.
Crimes and Clemency
Before we can determine whether you might be granted leniency, we’ll need to review your case to determine which crimes you’ve been charged with. Often, if you were charged with a nonviolent crime and weren’t intending to harm anyone, you could be given a lighter sentence.
Some of the different types of crimes that might warrant clemency include possession of marijuana, shoplifting and public intoxication, to name a few. The basis for a lenient sentence as a first-time offender is typically a lack of good judgement. The judge presiding over your case might recognize that this was a one-time incident and that you aren’t likely to commit a crime again.
Prepare for the Worst-Case Scenario
The best thing you can do after securing a criminal defense lawyer is to prepare for the worst. Although we can plead your case as a first-time, nonviolent offender, if you act aggressively or without respect for the law, judge, or court system as a whole, the judge might not grant you leniency.
We’ll work to dispute the prosecutor’s evidence and create a reasonable doubt of your guilt, but you’ll also need to demonstrate feelings of remorse for the crime you’ve committed to prove to the judge that you’ve learned your lesson.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
Being arrested was probably one of the scariest days of your life—and it’s supposed to be. After all, if your arrest was scary, you can only imagine what jail or even prison would be like. As a first-time offender, you might be able to come away with leniency if your attorney can prove to the judge that you aren’t likely to offend again.
The attorneys at Rowdy G. Williams Law Firm are prepared to fight for a lighter sentence so you can move forward with your life and put your mistakes in the past. You can schedule your initial consultation today by filling out the convenient contact form below or by calling our office at 1-812-232-7400.
