How a Criminal Offense Can Affect Your Life
Everyone makes mistakes. The unfortunate thing is some mistakes stay with us for a lifetime and no matter what choices we make in the years following, we may still be paying the price of one misstep. If you have committed a crime, you may be left facing a lifetime of punishment. In many cases, the punishment fits the crime. If a person commits a serious offense, they will spend the rest of their years in prison. However, your crime may not have been serious enough to warrant a lifetime behind bars. You may have made a mistake that, while deserved of punishment, leaves your life forever in shambles. Your first need is for a criminal defense attorney or criminal defense lawyer. This gives you a better chance of not going to jail and in many cases, helps you clean up the mess so it will not affect you forever. If you neglect to choose a qualified professional to help you, you may be stuck leading an unfortunate life, long past the committing of the crime. Here are some things to expect, should you break the law.
If you have been sent to jail and you are released or you are never sentenced to jail, but found guilty, you may need to meet with a parole officer on the regular basis. Most parole officers check in with their clients once a week, but for other more serious offenses, daily check-ins may be required. Initially, it may seem like a parole check-in is far more agreeable than having to spend your days in prison. Over time though, having to alert someone to your whereabouts and having someone monitor your every step is demoralizing. Even if you deserve it and you know you deserve it, you will be sacrificing your freedom.
When on parole, you are required to stay in the state. You will not be permitted to enjoy family vacations, out of state college visits, trips across the state line or trips to visit friends who live elsewhere. You are tied to the state in which you were convicted, at least until your parole is over. If you do leave the state, it is considered a parole violation and is enough grounds to have you put into prison.
If you are a parent and you are found guilty of a crime, it may affect your custody rights. Courts are unlikely to let parents who have committed crimes spend time alone with their children. Either your spouse or ex-spouse will need to be present or you will need to have visits supervised by a social worker. This is made somewhat easier if you are still together with your spouse, but in that case, legal custody is not much of an issue. If you are estranged from the parent of your child, your crime is going to affect your time with your child. Once you are a parent, you must consider more than just yourself during every choice you make.
Finally, your crime could easily affect your current job or your career outlook. If your current job requires a risk concerning money or security, an arrest and conviction is going to leave your employer less than trusting. In the future, your potential employers have the right to know if you have committed a crime in the past. This could affect their decision to hire you.
Author Bio: Stewart Wrighter recently spent time researching law firms with an Omaha Criminal Defense Attorney. He searched the term Omaha Criminal Defense lawyer to find a law practice in the area.
Category: Legal
Keywords: Omaha Criminal Defense Attorney,Omaha Criminal Defense Lawyer