Have you or a loved one been accused of or charged with a crime in Douglas County, Nebraska? If so, it is important that you contact an experienced criminal defense trial lawyer to help you defend the allegations and talk about your rights and the consequences you are facing. Read on to learn more about criminal allegations and charges in Douglas County, Nebraska, or contact one of our experienced trial defense lawyers at Berry Law.
The Difference Between a Criminal Allegation, an Arrest Warrant and a Formal Criminal Charge
If you are facing an allegation that law enforcement is investigating in Douglas County, NE, but there is no active warrant for your arrest or official charge on file by the Douglas County Attorney’s Office or City Prosecutor’s Office yet, this means there is simply an investigation into possible criminal conduct. What you do and do not do during the investigation phase of a criminal allegation can be very important—critical, even—to the outcome of the investigation and your case. You have Rights and it is important to consult with an experienced defense lawyer as soon as you learn of an allegation made against you in Douglas County, before you discuss the allegation with anyone or decide what next steps you are going to take.
What You Need to Know About Going to Jail Following an Arrest Warrant
It is important to know that you have the Fifth Amendment Right Against Self-Incrimination whether or not you have a lawyer at the time you are arrested. In fact, this is a Right you always have, even if you have not yet been arrested. This means that you do not have to make a statement or answer questions that police, cops or other members of law enforcement ask you about an allegation or a crime in Douglas County, Nebraska.
Defending Allegations and Charges in Douglas County, Nebraska- Misdemeanors, Felonies and Possible Consequences
There are numerous, different types of criminal charges a person can face in Douglas County, Nebraska. Some are relatively low-level misdemeanors, and some are serious felonies carrying substantial prison time. Consequences can range from fines, to probation, to prison time, to a ban on firearm possession, to deportation or other immigration consequences, to sex offender registration, to loss of employment licensure for individuals in the medical community, trucking industry or other type of profession requiring a person to maintain certain licensure.
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Defending Allegations and Charges in Douglas County, Nebraska- Criminal Jury Trials and Your Rights
In Douglas County, Nebraska, you have the Right to a Trial by Jury if the crime you have been charged with carries one year or more in jail. If the crime is a misdemeanor offense carrying up to one year in jail, you have the Right to a 6-person jury. If you are charged with a felony offense, you have the Right to a 12-person jury. Sometimes, there can be strategy to waiving a jury and trying your case to the judge. This is a complicated analysis that requires consideration of many factors. Jury trials can be very challenging, long and require exhaustive efforts by your lawyer ahead of time to prepare and to put you in the best possible position to try and achieve success during trial. It is critical that you hire a criminal defense lawyer in Douglas County, Nebraska with documented proof of trial litigation success to help you defend your case, if you think you might want to go to trial.
