Las Vegas / Nevada / United States
Las Vegas Criminal Lawyer In Nevada, there are three types of crimes you can be charged with which are felonies, gross misdemeanors, and misdemeanors. Gross misdemeanors are rather unique to Nevada and are unheard of in other states. Whether you or a loved one is accused of a felony, gross misdemeanor, or a misdemeanor, its important to realize that an arrest or a citation is only an accusation it doesnt mean that you are automatically guilty of something even if you committed the crime. The prosecutors still have to prove their case, and thats why its important to have a lawyer who knows how to fight for you. The majority of the clients Mr. Pariente represents have had their charges reduced even in cases where the evidence was overwhelming against his clients. Some felonies are probation eligible and some are not. An arrest for a felony is only an accusation that you have committed a felony. At this point, you are still presumed not guilty even if you have been arrested and even if you know you committed the crime. But once you plead guilty and are sentenced, you become a convicted felon. ( A person convicted of a felony who is caught possessing a firearm faces mandatory prison sentence in federal custody if convicted. ) A convicted felon loses many important rights including the right to carry a firearm, the right to vote, the right to run for public office, and the right to obtain or maintain certain employment or professional license. Many employers refuse to hire people who have been convicted of a felony. One of the questions you see on most employment applications is, Have you ever been convicted of a felony? And employers dont just take your word for it. They run background check to determine if the person is being truthful or not about having a felony conviction. But if you have been arrested and only have a pending case where you have not pled guilty or been found guilty yet, you may answer no to the question because you have not been convicted. The main point you should get out of this is this dont plead guilty without talking to me first! A gross misdemeanor carries a maximum period of incarceration of 1 year. If you are charged with a gross misdemeanor, you have the right to a jury trial because the maximum term of incarceration exceeds six months. A misdemeanor carries a maximum period of incarceration of six months. If you are charged with a misdemeanor in Nevada, you do not have the right to a jury trial because the maximum term of incarceration is less than six months. If you are charged with a gross misdemeanor or a misdemeanor, you should never make the mistake of assuming that all gross misdemeanors and all misdemeanors are treated the same by employers, the military, or by licensing boards. Licensing boards are state agencies that screen people who apply to become doctors, nurses, lawyers, insurance brokers, real estate brokers and agents, and other occupations that require a professional license to carry out a particular trade or skill. Some of these misdemeanors that can harm your chances of getting or keeping a good job are theft, prostitution, domestic violence, and certain others. Take the following example. Someone convicted of misdemeanor theft will have a much harder time obtaining a professional license or keeping a professional license than someone convicted of misdemeanor trespass. Someone convicted of misdemeanor theft will have a much harder time obtaining or keeping a job than someone convicted of misdemeanor trespass. Why? Because the crime of theft, even misdemeanor theft, is a crime involving moral turpitude. Thats why you some employers if the applicant has ever been convicted not just of a felony, but a crime involving moral turpitude. What the employer is looking for is someone who has ever been convicted of stealing since no employer wants to hire someone who might steal from them even if the person has never been convicted of stealing but has been convicted of an