Nobody wants to be charged with a crime. It can be even more difficult if you are charged for a crime out of state. There are things that go into this situation you may not have considered. Posting bail, finding a lawyer, appearing in court numerous times. These are all things that can come up that can make even more of a logistical nightmare if you do not live in the state you were charged. Thankfully, there are ways to work around this. You need to understand this part of the legal system and also learn what you can do to put yourself in the best position to deal with this.
Understanding the Legal System
A big first step to understanding the legal system is grasping the understanding of jurisdiction. Jurisdiction is defined as the official power to make legal decisions and judgments.
If you were to engage in illegal activity with someone that lives in another state, there is a good chance you can be charged for a crime in that state instead of where you currently live. Next, you need to consider how it will be posting bail. This can be a very expensive part of the process. For some crimes, a judge may require you to post bail for your charge if you are from out of state. This is a set amount of money you can pay to the court that will ensure you will come back to appear in court to face the charges.
If you post bail and appear in court at a later time, you may receive the money-back as a refund. If you post bail and do not show up for court, a warrant may be issued for your arrest. Warrants play a big part in all of this. If a warrant is issued for your arrest, any law enforcement personnel in the country can be able to look up your information and see you are wanted for a crime.
The court that issued the warrant has the ability to request extradition and have that individual brought to court to face the charges. This is an expensive route, and courts won’t go for this if the changes are minor in nature. Lastly, you will need to have a good understanding and expectation for how things will go with court appearances in the future and hiring local counsel, which will be described in more detail.
Hiring Legal Counsel
No matter what the charges are, you should always be seeking consultation from a criminal defense attorney. If you are charged for a crime in another state, you need to make sure you are talking to an attorney from that state.
A local attorney will have all the knowledge of local laws to be able to assist you in getting your case taken care of as quickly and smoothly as possible. The big question that comes to mind when thinking about what happens after you are arrested for a crime is, what does this mean for me being home and away from the jurisdiction I was charged in?
If you were charged with a serious offense or felony, you would most likely be required to appear in court a number of times while your case is argued. It would take a good local attorney to not require you to appear a number of times for this kind of charge. A charge such as a misdemeanor is a different story. If you are able to get a local criminal attorney to argue your case in front of a judge, you may be able to have the attorney represent you on your behalf through every step of the case, although you will be responsible for any sentence given to you. If you are charged with a crime out of state, you need to seek immediate legal assistance.
People are seldom equipped to handle this situation themselves. An experienced local attorney in that area will be able to review your case and determine the best course of action that sets you up with the best likelihood of success. Being charged with a crime is no simple problem and should not be treated as such.