The aspect of being charged with a criminal offense is somewhat tricky to understand. Hence, let’s start learning about it with an example.
Consider yourself as a suspect who is accused of fighting or assaulting someone in a bar. Now, once someone lets the police know about the incident, they’ll show up at the location right away and arrest you.
What happens after that? Does the victim go to the police station to file a complaint against you? Or, will they press charges against you right away?
Please keep reading to learn more about it.
(Spoiler Alert: It’s nothing like what they show on the television!)
Pressing Criminal Charge – What Does It Mean, Really?
The term “pressing a charge” refers to prosecuting a case of felony against someone who has committed a crime.
Contrary to popular belief, it is usually done by a respected prosecutor, not the person who was affected by the crime.
However, although you’re not responsible for pressing charges, you have to file a police complaint before the accusation is made official.
Be sure to take the help of dwi lawyers in Kansas City MO, to ensure that you’re not messing up the paperwork.
Contrary to suing, you won’t be responsible for paying or organizing the prosecution of your case. Also, you will not get any financial benefit from the outcome, even if you win it. But, you can accept fiscal compensation as a part of your plea bargain.
Does The Police Charge Against You?
No, even if they try, the police won’t be able to press charges against you. However, they will file a report independently, depending on whatever they have found during their investigation.
Remember, the statements provided by the report can change the decision of the prosecutor. Hence, we will ask you not to say or do anything while you are with them.
Make sure to avoid making any statement, even if it’s true, which can alter their decision or think twice about your innocence.
How To Know If Someone Pressed Charges Against You?
Many people think that they will be notified by the police if someone has pressed charges against them. However, unfortunately, it’s not true.
There’s no legal requirement available that’ll let the police tell you about the charge against you. Instead, you will know about it when an arraignment is organized for you.
During this listening session, you will be notified about what you have been charged with. After that, you can tell if you want to plead guilty or not to counter this situation.
You can always take the matter into your hands and jump into it wildly. Nonetheless, we will suggest you opt for the help of Kansas City DWI Lawyers.
With their experience and expertise, they can help you understand how you can get out of this situation. They will investigate and find loopholes to ensure your safety as well.
Can You Go To Jail, Though?
No, not really. The police will not always arrest you or take you to jail whenever someone files or presses a charge against you.
The whole situation of being incarcerated will depend solely on how much of a threat you are.
For example, if you have committed a crime or felony before, your risk of going to jail will be pretty high.
Besides, your likelihood of going on the run or committing any further crime will also influence the aforesaid decision to some extent.
Fighting Against False Charges
Sometimes, people can falsely accuse you of a crime or press charges against you for their own benefit.
In that case, you will have to be as calm as possible and hire a lawyer first. Also, we will ask you to start gathering evidence for your case and show them to your attorney.
It, in turn, will help you and your lawyer create a perfect defendant’s case and fight against the false accuser rightly.
If you are successful, you can also end up using them for producing a wrong case against you. Just make sure to do your prep work perfectly, and you’ll be fine!
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