Consequences of Criminal Charges in Henrico County
In Henrico, a conviction for a criminal offense can have a wide ranging impact. For this reason it is important you consult with a Henrico criminal defense lawyer today to discuss your case and formulate a defense. Call today to schedule a free consultation.
What Are The First Things Someone Charged With a Criminal Offense in Henrico County Should Do?
The most important thing to do if charged with a crime in Henrico is to speak with a local attorney immediately. In speaking with an attorney you can educate yourself as what you are charged with, what you may be facing, and review what options or defenses may be available to you.
Can a Criminal Charge Affect One’s Immigration Status?
Yes, a criminal charge will most definitely affect your immigration status. If there is an active jail sentence or even a lengthy suspended jail sentence it can result in a revocation of your immigration status. Even a minor charge could create issues in renewing or advancing your immigration status. A conviction on a serious criminal charge can result in immediate deportation.
Can A Criminal Charge Conviction Affect One’s Security Clearance?
A criminal conviction will most certainly affect your security clearance in Virginia. If convicted the charge will appear when your employer does a routine background check or you are reviewed for a possible promotion. In some instances, a conviction can result in immediate loss of your security clearance and loss of employment.
What Do You Tell Your Clients That Are Worried About Their Security Clearance?
With clients concerned about security clearances we attempt to review the options available that can either get a charge reduced or resolved in a way that will not harm the clearance and job. We need to determine exactly how the clearance could be effected then examine the best steps possible to avoid this. Having knowledge of the possible alternative sentencing available in Henrico is invaluable here. We can speak with prosecutors to negotiate a resolution that hopefully causes no harm to an individual’s security clearance and ultimately saves their job.
What we try and find out is, “What are the options to get it reduced so that the security clearance stays clear and they can retain their employment?” We want to review these kinds of options and we want to bring those options to the prosecutors as well because again most prosecutors don’t want to see you lose your job if it is a relatively minor offense or an isolated incident.
With many cases I will argue to the Court and prosecutor that there is an interest in reducing or mitigating a charge so as to preserve your security clearance. Often the Court and prosecutors will consider this as a strong a mitigating factor to consider in sentencing. We also want to encourage the court or prosecutors to consider alternative punishments, like community service or license suspension, rather than more several punishments that could result in loss of a security clearance.
What Should Someone Who Lives Out of State Do If They Are Charged With A Criminal Offense In Henrico, Virginia?
If you live in another part of Virginia and are charged with a crime in Henrico the most important thing you can do is contact an attorney that practices in Henrico. You want to use an attorney that knows the Henrico court system, that knows how the judges and prosecutors, and knows the policies and procedures that make Henrico unique compared to other jurisdictions in Northern or Southern Virginia.
