Cayce Criminal Lawyer

Cayce, South Carolina Defense AttorneyCayce is known to be tough on crime. If you are facing criminal charges, you may need an experienced defense attorney on your side. A Cayce criminal defense lawyer may be able to fight as your advocate to clear your name and protect your reputation in your community.

Whether you are facing 30 years in prison for armed robbery, or 30 days in jail for possession of a small amount of marijuana, a Cayce criminal lawyer could help protect your rights as a defendant.

Common Criminal Offenses

There are numerous criminal charges a person may face within Cayce, and a wide variety of penalties. These potential charges include but are not limited to:

  • DUI
  • Domestic Violence
  • Robbery
  • Burglary
  • Rape and Sexual Assault
  • Assault and Battery
  • Fraud
  • Harassment and Stalking
  • Drug Possession and Distribution
  • Prostitution-Related Charges
  • Traffic Offenses

Speak with a Cayce criminal lawyer to learn more about the common offenses potentially requiring the help of an attorney.

Impact of a Criminal Record for First-Time Offenders

Any time a person faces criminal charges, they also face the possibility of a criminal record. Having a criminal record may hurt a person’s chances of being hired or getting into college. In addition, it could also restrict where a person may live and work, whether they can receive financial aid for school, or whether they can be approved for a loan—not to mention one’s reputation in their community.

Certain criminal offenses have administrative penalties in addition to possible jail time. Traffic offenses may trigger points on a driver’s license and could result in someone losing their driving privileges. Violent offenses can possibly restrict a convicted person’s right to own and use firearms. Sex offense convictions can require sex offender registration.

These are just some of the reasons a person with a clean criminal record may want to work with an experienced Cayce criminal lawyer to help address allegations of criminal behavior.

Subsequent Convictions Can Trigger Heightened Penalties

Working with an experienced Cayce criminal lawyer is important not just for those who seek to keep their record clean, but also for defendants who have a history of criminal convictions. Just like the rest of South Carolina, Cayce has gotten tougher on crime in recent years by updating statutes and penalties dealing with certain criminal offenses. This includes making penalties stricter for those with a criminal history, or so-called repeat offenders.

A criminal defense lawyer in South Carolina could seek to have charges reduced or dismissed. This may be especially important for criminal offenses that carry heightened penalties for any subsequent convictions during a certain period of time. For instance, a second or third drunk driving offense in South Carolina during a ten-year period is punishable by heightened fines and jail time, compared to a first offense.

Even if a criminal defense attorney cannot get the charges dismissed, it is possible the criminal charges could be reduced to a lesser offense that would not constitute a subsequent offense. For example, if a drunk driving (DUI) charge was reduced to a reckless driving charge, the harsher penalties that come along with a second-offense DUI would not generally be triggered.

Talk to a Cayce Criminal Defense Attorney Today

Regardless of the situation that led to your arrest and the criminal charges against you, it may be important for you to consult a knowledgeable attorney who could protect your rights as a defendant. A Cayce criminal lawyer may be able to sit with you and go through all the details of your case. By doing so, you may come across some potential defenses that could prove to be highly effective.