Have you been arrested for a crime in Huron, OH? Are you currently under criminal investigation? Any criminal conviction can carry life-altering penalties. Contact an experienced Huron criminal defense attorney at Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers to start building a strong legal defense immediately.
Experience matters when you’re facing serious criminal charges. Our lawyers have a combined 181 years of experience successfully handling criminal cases.
Being convicted of a crime can mean prison time, high financial penalties, and a host of unexpected consequences. We can help you fight to avoid the worst. Contact our criminal defense law firm in Huron, Ohio, at 419-625-7770 to schedule a free consultation today.
How Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers Can Help if You’ve Been Accused of Committing a Crime in Huron
You know you have the right to legal representation if you’re charged with a crime. You may not understand exactly how important choosing a criminal defense firm is. Inexperienced attorneys often pressure clients to accept plea offers. That’s because they don’t have much experience winning not-guilty verdicts at trial.
If you want to give yourself the best chance of winning your case, your first call should be to an experienced Huron criminal defense lawyer at Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers. Over the years, we’ve helped countless clients beat charges and move on with their lives.
When you hire our lawyers, we will:
- Conduct a comprehensive investigation into the allegations against you
- Collect and present all exculpatory evidence that can be used in your favor
- Help you understand your legal options throughout the process
- Negotiate with prosecutors to get the charges dropped or reduced
- Undermine the prosecution’s case at every turn
- Work with experts to strengthen your defense
- Fiercely represent you before a judge and jury
An arrest is not a conviction. To learn more about how a Huron criminal defense attorney can protect your future, call our law offices for a consultation today.
We Handle All Types of Criminal Cases in Huron, OH
Whether you’re facing misdemeanor or felony charges, you deserve the strongest legal defense possible.
We have experience handling criminal cases involving:
Driving While Intoxicated
Ohio takes DUI extremely seriously. When arrested on DUI charges, you’re facing jail time, high financial penalties, and even loss of your driver’s license. Repeat offenders face even steeper penalties. Our criminal defense lawyers in Huron know how to challenge these charges.
Domestic Violence
Allegations of domestic violence can fundamentally change your life. The consequences are often immediate–before you’ve even had a chance to defend yourself. You need an experienced criminal defense team in your corner from day one.
Our lawyers are here to protect you, including by fighting any restraining order against you.
Juvenile Offenses
A conviction as a juvenile can change the course of your life. While Ohio courts tend to focus on rehabilitation over punishment, the criminal justice system is far from perfect. If you were arrested as a minor, our lawyers will do everything possible to protect your future.
Sex Crimes
When you’re convicted of a sex crime, your life can change in a moment. Few crimes carry the stigma that attaches to allegations of rape or sexual assault. You may be facing lifelong sex offender registration requirements in Ohio.
Our Huron defense attorneys will not only build the rigorous defense you need to avoid jail time, but we’ll also work to protect your reputation and good name.
Drug Crimes
Drug charges in Ohio carry a wide range of penalties. While marijuana may be more acceptable than ever before in Ohio, even marijuana charges can still carry serious jail time. Whether you were arrested for possession, drug paraphernalia, or drug trafficking, contact our attorneys in Huron today.
These are just some examples of our key practice areas.
At Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers, we’ve successfully defended clients in Erie County against all types of criminal charges, including:
- Assault
- Battery
- Burglary
- Child endangerment
- Disorderly conduct
- Domestic violence
- DUI/OVI, including first-time DUI, repeat DUI and felony DUI
- Employee fraud
- Failure to register as a sex offender
- Federal crimes
- Internet crimes
- Manslaughter
- Murder, homicide, and other serious violent crimes
- Probation or parole violations
- Restraining orders
- Robbery
- Theft crimes
- Weapons charges, including firearm charges
- White collar crimes
Our lawyers have been around for decades. We know how a criminal conviction can alter your life. If you’re facing charges, contact our attorneys in Huron to learn more about how we’ll stand up and defend you.
What Are the Penalties if I’m Convicted of a Crime in Huron, Ohio?
Penalties for criminal conviction in Ohio will vary depending on the charge, offender history or disciplinary record and the overall circumstances. Whether you’re charged with a felony or misdemeanor, it’s important to understand what you’re up against.
What Are the Penalties for Felony Convictions in Ohio?
Here’s a summary of the potential penalties you may face if convicted of a felony in Ohio:
- Fifth-degree felony: between six and 12 months in jail and a maximum $2,500 fine
- Fourth-degree felony: between six and 18 months in jail and $5,000 in fines
- Third-degree felony: between nine months and five years in prison, plus up to $10,000 in fines
- Second-degree felony: between two and eight years in prison and $15,000 in financial penalties
- First-degree felony: between three and 11 years in prison and $20,000 in fines,
Additional prison time may be imposed for the most serious felony-level charges. Certain second-degree offenses carry a possibility of up to ten additional years in prison. Courts can impose a life sentence for crimes like aggravated murder, murder, human trafficking, and certain high-level sex crimes.
What Are the Penalties for Misdemeanor Convictions in Ohio?
If you’re convicted on misdemeanor charges in Ohio, courts may be obligated to order jail time. While they do have some leeway, mandatory minimum sentencing requirements apply.
Your sentence will depend on many different factors, but in most cases, a misdemeanor conviction can result in a maximum of:
- 180 days in jail for a first-degree misdemeanor conviction
- 90 days in jail for a second-degree misdemeanor conviction
- 60 days in jail for a third-degree misdemeanor conviction
- 30 days in jail for a fourth-degree misdemeanor conviction
With the right lawyer in your corner, it’s also possible that your sentence could be limited to probation, community services, and other punishments to avoid jail time.
What Else Should I Understand About the Consequences of Criminal Conviction?
A criminal conviction stays with you. It doesn’t go away merely because you’ve completed a prison sentence and paid your fines.
Many convicted criminals experience serious long-term consequences, including:
- Loss of child custody and other family court problems
- A permanent criminal record, which must be disclosed when applying for housing or employment
- Immigration troubles and deportation
- Loss of voting rights
- Loss of your right to own a firearm
- Parole
- Probation
- Community service
- Mandatory drug or alcohol counseling
- Anger management treatment
- Sex offender registration
The exact consequences will depend on your unique situation. However, in every case, building the strongest defense is critical. A strong defense attorney can fight to avoid the worst-case punishments.
What Defenses Can Be Raised if I’ve Been Accused of Committing a Crime in Ohio?
You can count on our team at Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers to explore every option to build the vigorous criminal defense you deserve.
Elements of a successful defense will vary depending on the circumstances and charges, but examples of the defenses we’ll evaluate include:
- Police lacked probable cause to arrest you
- You were a victim of an unlawful search or seizure
- Interrogators denied your right to have an attorney present during questioning
- The prosecution’s witnesses are not credible or have a motive to lie
- Police and prosecutors failed to follow chain-of-custody rules when relying on DNA and other scientific evidence
- You were a victim of mistaken identity
- You had an alibi, based on witness testimony or GPS data, so couldn’t have committed the crime
- You were deprived of competent legal representation at a prior trial
- You were a victim of police bias and discrimination
Every case is different. We’ll carefully review every aspect of your interactions with law enforcement and the state’s prosecutors. You can count on us to poke holes in the prosecution’s case at every turn.
Remember, you’re innocent until proven guilty. We’re here to hold the state to its high burden of proof in every criminal case we take on. To learn more about how we’ll put our experience to work for you, call for legal advice today.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Trusted Huron Criminal Defense Attorney
Even the mere allegation that you committed a crime can disastrously impact your reputation. Call a Huron criminal defense attorney today if you’re facing criminal charges. You can also use our online contact form.
Our team at Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers has nearly two centuries of combined experience handling cases like yours. You can count on us to build your strong legal defense.