Misdemeanors: Serious Crimes Despite The Perception

Being convicted of a crime is a massive blow to anyone’s future. You may think that a state or federal felony are the only “serious” crimes that you need to worry about, but that simply isn’t true. Even misdemeanors can have a profound effect on a person’s life, and it is important for anyone accused of a crime to take the matter seriously.

Consider for a moment that you are an employer, and you have a stack of resumes on your desk to look over. Eventually you whittle the stack down to three candidates, all of whom are promising. But when you run background checks on the candidates, you notice that one of the three has a past criminal offense. Do you think or care whether that offense is a misdemeanor or a felony? Probably not. You would almost certainly scrap that person’s resume, simply because of the past criminal conviction.

This is the way many companies function. It doesn’t matter if your crime was “minor” in nature (i.e. a misdemeanor). All that matters is that a crime is on your record. And it is this defining element of having a criminal history that reinforces why it is so important to have an attorney by your side, even if you are “only” charged with a misdemeanor.

Any criminal conduct can greatly impact your life. The consequences associated with breaking the law are immense, and if you have been accused of a crime, you will need an advocate to protect your rights and interests.