{"id":1534,"date":"2020-06-16T19:00:11","date_gmt":"2020-06-16T19:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/?p=1534"},"modified":"2020-06-16T19:00:11","modified_gmt":"2020-06-16T19:00:11","slug":"how-your-sentence-will-be-determined-as-a-defendant-facing-criminal-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/how-your-sentence-will-be-determined-as-a-defendant-facing-criminal-charges\/","title":{"rendered":"How Your Sentence Will Be Determined as a Defendant Facing Criminal Charges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When it comes to facing criminal charges, the most important factor is the skill and expertise of your defense. In fact, this is exactly why it is vital to retain a private<\/em> lawyer, rather than a public defender. However, your lawyer is not the only factor that matters. Courts, namely judges, rely on several factors to help them determine what a defendant\u2019s sentence will be. If you are currently awaiting an upcoming court hearing for a recent arrest, this information should be at the top of your priority list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue reading to how judges base their rulings in criminal court, and the one single task you can do to avoid the maximum penalties for your criminal charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Criminal
Criminal Defense Law Firm 317-636-7514<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Levels of Criminal Charges and Wobblers<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

In Indiana, all crimes can be categorized into three types of offenses: Felonies, misdemeanors, and infractions. Felonies are divided into 7 categories in Indiana, from Level 1 to Level 6, and Murder. Level 6 felony crimes are the least serious type of felony, and are commonly referred to as \u201cwobblers\u201d since they can most often be reduced to Class A Misdemeanors. Similarly, Misdemeanors are divided into three \u201cclasses\u201d, from Class A Misdemeanors, being the most serious, to Class C Misdemeanors, the least serious. Just like Level 6 Felonies, Class C Misdemeanors can also be wobblers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aggravating and Mitigating Circumstances<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, how does a judge decide whether to \u201cwobble\u201d a charge or not? As mentioned before, there are several factors they will consider when making this decision. These factors are known as aggravating <\/em>and mitigating circumstances<\/em>. Aggravating circumstances are elements of a crime that make the offense more atrocious, or worse in the eyes of the public. Mitigating circumstances are elements of a crime that, in some way, minimize the severity of the offense when compared to other similar crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also statutory and enumerated circumstances that judges will look at when deciding on an ultimate sentence for a convicted criminal. Let\u2019s discuss statutory and enumerated circumstances in an upcoming blog, so be sure to check back soon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where to Get Trusted Indianapolis Criminal Defense and Legal Advice<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Call the Law Office of David E. Lewis at 317-636-7514<\/strong> to schedule a free initial consultation with aggressive Indiana criminal defense lawyer <\/a>who will stop at nothing to protect your rights and preserve your freedoms. With decades of hands-on experience, you can trust Attorney David E. Lewis to build you a strong and impactful defense against your Indiana criminal charges. Here at The Law Office of David E. Lewis, we are ready to be your number-one advocate through this difficult time in your life. Trust our legal professionals to develop a strong defense for your case and work around the clock to place you in the best position possible following an arrest, charge, or conviction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Indianapolis
Schedule a Free Consultation Today!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it comes to facing criminal charges, the most important factor is the skill and expertise of your defense. In fact, this is exactly why it is vital to retain a private lawyer, rather than a public defender. However, your … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1535,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,1],"tags":[730,1072,746,1074,5,1073],"class_list":["post-1534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-criminal-defense","category-criminal-law","tag-aggravating-factors","tag-court-decisions","tag-criminal-charges-indiana","tag-criminal-court","tag-criminal-defense","tag-mitigating-factors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1534"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1536,"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1534\/revisions\/1536"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}