Criminal Defense

There are many ways to reduce the impact of a charge on a person’s criminal record. Many of our past clients have been able to resolve their cases without a conviction appearing on their records. Call us today to discuss the particulars of your case.

Generally speaking, first-time offenders do not serve jail time on low-level misdemeanor cases. However, aggravating circumstances can make serving jail time a possibility, because prosecutors and judges do take all of the facts of a case into account when reviewing the offense at hand. We can tell you if there is a realistic risk of serving jail during a free initial consultation. The basic sentencing parameters for offenses in Minnesota are:

Petty Misdemeanor Offenses—A petty misdemeanor is not a crime. The maximum punishment for a petty misdemeanor is a $300 fine plus any surcharges the county may add. You cannot go to jail for a petty misdemeanor.

Misdemeanor Offenses —A misdemeanor is punishable by a maximum fine of $1,000 and/or up to 90 days in jail.

Gross Misdemeanor Offenses— A gross misdemeanor is punishable by a maximum fine of $3,000 and/or up to 90 days in jail.

Felony Offenses— A felony carries a possible sentence of at least 366 days in jail and a maximum fine that is greater than $3,000.

If you have been charged with a crime of any kind (with the exception of some low-level traffic tickets) you will likely have to go to court.Petty misdemeanors are not crimes and you do not have to attend court to resolve them. To resolve a petty misdemeanor, you can generally call the court administrator in the county in which a ticket was issued and either pay a fine by phone or meet with a hearing officer to discuss the ticket. You can also call the court administrator in the county where the alleged offense occurred and ask if there is a court date scheduled for the case.