Nashville Felony Defense Attorneys
Helping Those Facing Criminal Charges Navigate Through the Complex Legal System in Pursuit of a Favorable Outcome
Facing felony criminal charges is a serious legal matter that should not be taken lightly. The criminal justice system in Tennessee can be aggressive and unsympathetic, especially to those accused of felony offenses. Those contending with complex criminal law matters must seek the aggressive representation of an experienced attorney well-versed in defending clients charged with serious criminal offenses. Whether you are accused of sex crimes, white collar crimes, violent crimes, or other forms of felony criminal offenses, you need professional legal support to help you avoid the most serious penalties that come with a criminal conviction.
A criminal conviction for a felony charge can result in lengthy prison sentences and hefty fines. However, the potential consequences of a felony conviction can extend far beyond the legal penalties. A felony conviction could affect your housing options, employment opportunities, educational pursuits, professional licenses, and child custody arrangements. Whether you have been falsely accused or not, you must take these charges very seriously and seek the legal counsel of an experienced criminal defense law office.
Our Nashville criminal attorneys have extensive experience gathering evidence, negotiating plea deals, investigating the facts, and helping clients through the court process of criminal matters. We understand the nuances involved in drug crimes, sex offenses, and other felony charges that could land an innocent person in jail for an extended period. As your legal representatives, our criminal defense lawyers will explore all available legal options, including potentially negotiating a favorable plea deal to help you arrive at the most satisfactory conclusion to your case. To discuss your case in more detail, please get in touch with us to schedule a confidential legal consultation with our criminal defense attorneys today.
What Criminal Defense Practice Areas Does Our Tennessee Law Firm Represent?
Those accused of felony offenses must retain the legal counsel of qualified criminal defense attorneys to represent their interests. Our Tennessee law firm has years of experience representing clients accused of serious criminal charges, including felony offenses. As your attorneys, we will explore all options, including discrediting the alleged victim of the crime, negotiating for a favorable plea bargain, proving reasonable doubt, and establishing police misconduct.
Our Tennessee criminal defense attorneys have experience representing defendants in a variety of felony cases, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Aggravated assault
- Arson
- Burglary and theft crimes
- Child abuse and neglect
- Criminal conspiracy
- Domestic violence
- Drug crimes like drug possession with intent to distribute or sell
- Evading arrest or resisting arrest
- Felony drug crimes
- Felony DUI cases
- Felony possession of a firearm
- Felony vandalism
- Kidnapping and forced imprisonment
- Murder and other violent crimes
- Possession of prohibited weapons
- Rape, sexual battery, and sexual assault
- Reckless endangerment
- Robbery
- Sex offender crimes, including child pornography
- Vehicular assault and vehicular homicide
- White-collar crimes, including embezzlement, securities fraud, insider trading, and identity theft
- And more
What Are the Potential Penalties of a Felony Criminal Conviction In Nashville, TN?
Felony charges are classified into different classes according to Tennessee law. Class A is the most serious felony, and Class E is the least serious.
Class A felonies include aggravated rape, murder, and other serious crimes. If convicted, the defendant may face life imprisonment, fines of up to $50,000, or even the death sentence in some cases.
Class B felony charges are punishable by a maximum of 40 years in jail and fines of up to $25,000. Defendants accused of sexual acts with a child or schedule 1 controlled substance charges may face Class B felonies.
Theft of over $10,000 but less than $60,000 or aggravated assault may fall under the Class C felony category. Those convicted of a Class C felony may be required to pay fines of up to $10,000 and spend up to 15 years in prison.
Certain drug possession charges, including specific marijuana possession crimes, can result in a Class D felony charge. This felony offense category is punishable by up to 12 years in prison and fines of up to $5,000.
The least severe felony charge in Tennessee is a Class E felony. Certain drug crimes and crimes of theft fall under this category. Those convicted may expect to pay fines of up to $3,000 and could spend up to six years in prison.
In addition to hefty fines and the potential of jail time or even the death penalty, those convicted of felony charges in Nashville, TN, may face additional consequences. For example, if found guilty of a sex offense, the accused may be required to register as a sex offender in the state. Other criminal convictions may result in losing employment opportunities, housing, education, and immigration. You may also lose your right to possess a firearm. Having a felony on your permanent criminal record is not something to take lightly.
Are You Facing the Potential of Jail Time or Even the Death Penalty for Your Criminal Offense?
Those accused of felony charges that come with the potential of lengthy prison sentences or even the possibility of death row must seek professional legal counsel immediately.
Do not discuss your case or attempt to defend yourself without an attorney present. Anything you say to law enforcement in felony criminal cases could be used against you in court. When the police ask you questions, exercise your right to remain silent and ask to speak with your criminal defense attorney.
You have constitutionally protected legal rights, but you can forego those rights if you speak out of turn. Our highly skilled criminal defense lawyers will guide you through the legal process, providing valuable advice every step of the way and a uniquely tailored defense strategy that can help defend your name.
In addition to seeking immediate legal guidance, you must attempt to document everything relevant to your criminal case, including notes about communications and interactions with law enforcement personnel. Regardless of whether you plan to plead guilty or enter a not guilty plea, you want evidence and notes to document the case every step of the way to ensure a more favorable sentence.
If any physical evidence or documents are relevant to the case, we advise you to preserve them, as they could be crucial during the pretrial phase of the court process.
In some cases, felony charges can be reduced to misdemeanor charges through plea bargaining or by presenting convincing evidence. Failing that, it may be possible to at least argue for more favorable sentencing that helps avoid life in prison or the death penalty. Our criminal defense attorneys are experienced in negotiating with prosecutors to reduce charges and minimize the potential penalties of a felony criminal conviction. The sooner you speak with our experienced legal team about your criminal case, the sooner we can begin building a defense strategy that represents your interests and helps avoid catastrophe.
What Might Be a Useful Defense Strategy in Your Criminal Case?
The defense strategies that may be useful to your felony criminal case can differ depending on the type of criminal charges you face. For example, those facing marijuana possession charges could argue that they were unaware of the illegal drugs in their possession at the time of their arrest. Others facing murder charges could claim self-defense, mistaken identity, present convincing alibis, or other evidence that could explain the death of the individual without placing guilt on the defendant’s shoulders.
You must seek experienced legal representation from a Nashville criminal defense attorney to assist you throughout the legal process of your case. Your Tennessee attorneys will explore all available options to help defend your case and avoid felony convictions.
Our Middle Tennessee law firm has extensive experience representing criminal defense legal matters, including felony cases. The Nashville criminal attorneys of our law offices can help explain some of the potential defense strategies available to you and your case in your initial legal consultation. Do not delay contacting our law firm to speak with a lawyer today.
What Are Common Mistakes That Defendants Make in Felony Cases?
If you are accused of a felony offense, you must do everything possible to defend your case throughout the legal process. Any slight misstep could ruin your chances of securing a not guilty verdict or other favorable plea bargain.
Some of the most common mistakes that criminal defendants make in felony cases include the following:
- Acting unprofessionally before a judge. You must maintain professionalism in court. Show up on time, dress well, and remain polite and respectful. Falling asleep in court, lashing out, or speaking out of turn could be very costly for your case
- Being overcommunicative or overcooperative. Stop talking. Anything you say only makes the prosecution’s case stronger and potentially airtight. Do not talk to the police at the scene of the arrest, don’t give detectives written statements or engage in dialogue, don’t tell other inmates about your case, don’t share details about your legal issues on social media, and do not share specifics about your case on prison telephones. You are protected by the Fifth Amendment constitutional right to remain silent. Only speak to the police in the company of your legal representation
- Distrust of your attorneys. You must remain honest, communicative, and cooperative with your legal representative. A lack of candidness and communication could lead to a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship. Your Nashville criminal defense lawyers are there to help you and have no benefit in providing lackluster legal counsel. Trust in their professional guidance
- Hiring the wrong lawyer or representing yourself. Those attempting to represent their own criminal cases often feel overwhelmed and defeated in the courtroom. It is just as ill-advised to select the wrong lawyer, which might be the attorney who makes huge promises or simply hires the attorney who costs the most. Never trust an attorney who promises to win your case successfully without a doubt in their mind. There are no guarantees in criminal law. Our law firm will do everything within our legal power to assist you throughout the process of defending your case, but we cannot make promises, nor should any other legal professionals
- Running. Do not attempt to flee police officers or leave the state in which you reside. Running from the police will likely end badly and suggests a guilty conscience to judges and juries. The prosecution can claim a consciousness of guilt if you attempt to flee. Don’t give law enforcement or the prosecutors any opportunity to make their case stronger
Contact Us to Schedule Your Confidential Consultation with Our Nashville Felony Defense Lawyers Today
As your criminal defense lawyers, we will attempt to build the strongest legal defense strategy for your case possible in hopes of avoiding a criminal conviction. Any conviction can have long-lasting impacts on your life that go well beyond the costly fines and potential for jail time. If you have already been convicted, our attorneys can explore the possibility of having your criminal record expunged.
Our Middle Tennessee legal team has extensive experience representing felony criminal matters. We aggressively represent clients in all sorts of felony offenses, from sex crimes and white-collar crimes to violent crimes and weapons charges. To learn more about the benefits of retaining our professional legal services, please contact us to schedule your initial consultation with our attorneys today.
You can schedule your no-obligation case evaluation by calling our Nashville law office at 615-616-6775
