The following is taken from an interview with a Leesburg criminal defense attorney as they discuss the most common crimes in Leesburg and how they are treated by prosecutors and judges. If you have been accused of a crime, call and schedule a consultation today to begin building your defense.
Some of the most common criminal offenses in Leesburg, the county seat of Loudoun County, include petit larceny, possession of marijuana, assault, and battery. Additionally, driving-related criminal charges are common, including DUI, reckless driving and driving on a suspended license.
These cases are common because they are simple in nature and can occur under a variety of circumstances. They do not necessarily need a criminal mastermind or evil intent to happen and can result from a simple misunderstanding.
A lawyer is valuable in these circumstances because a lawyer can help discern truth from reality and apply case law to the facts. A lawyer can point out legal and factual defenses that may be available when an individual is charged with a common criminal violation.
Law enforcement officers in Leesburg are consistently trying to crack down on crimes that are perceived to be against public safety. These include occurrences of violence, crimes against vulnerable population, such as the young, as well as crimes of abuse, including drug abuse offenses.
Due to the aggressive nature in which priority offenses are investigated and prosecuted, innocent people are unfortunately caught in the net sometimes. The criminal justice system in Loudoun County, as well as in the United States, plans for this in that just because you are arrested or charged with an offense does not mean you are guilty of an offense. You are truly innocent until proven guilty. This still applies even when you are arrested and brought before court. At the court, the prosecution must still prove the criminal offense beyond a reasonable doubt.
An attorney is valuable when you are charged of any criminal offense because they can represent your interests. Criminal defense attorneys can typically handle a wide variety of criminal defense matters, and can be skilled in representing third parties that are mistakenly charged with criminal offenses. If you are an innocent person charged by mistake or there is a valid defense to your charge criminal defense, an attorney can help protect you against criminal offenses.
One of the main problems with the courts and the criminal justice system that applies to the Loudoun County and Leesburg criminal cases is the failure to create solutions when a person has been arrested for an offense. Only certain offenses in Virginia by statute have deferred findings or deferred dispositions made part of their options.
For example, if someone is charged with a possession of marijuana offense or possession of Schedule 1 or 2 control substances they may be able to enter a plea, agree to do certain things and not be found guilty if they hold to their end of the bargain.
These deferred findings and deferred dispositions are very limited in Virginia. It is the shortcoming of the criminal justice system that we don’t have more options for deferred findings. It may be difficult, but not impossible, for persons charged with first offenses to avoid a conviction under most circumstances.
Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
