Misdemeanor crimes, such as petty theft, prostitution, drug possession, and vandalism, come with penalties not everyone is able to serve. If you have been charged with a misdemeanor, you may want to hire a misdemeanor defense attorney. Here are three good reasons why you might want to do so.

You Have Dependents and No One to Care for Them

​If you go to jail for a year or less, your children will end up in the foster system if their father(s) is/are not around. If any of the children are also special needs children, then they definitely need you to be there and care for them. Your lawyer can argue for house arrest instead of jail time, if the judge is insistent that you serve jail time. Additionally, if you have an extended family member, such as an elderly parent, who is sick or suffering from dementia residing with you, that should also be mentioned so that the judge can take your lawyer's arguments and proposals for sentencing into consideration.

​There Is No One Else to Keep Up with the Mortgage Payments

​When you own a home and you are found guilty or "no contest" to a charge and sentenced to time in jail, you will undoubtedly lose your home unless someone else can make the mortgage payments. That would cause you and any dependents you have to become homeless during the time you serve in jail. In some cases, when the accused is a single person, the judge will not be moved by this situation, but when others are involved and living in the home, the judge may show mercy on you at his/her discretion. Then you will be able to keep up with the mortgage and not lose the house.

​The Particular Charges Would Cause You to Lose Standing in the Community or Lose Your Job

​You would want a lawyer to defend you when the charges are untrue and the charges would cost you your job and/or your standing in the community. Since you cannot prove your own innocence in court, you would need a lawyer to do it for you. The lawyer can collect all of the necessary proof to show that you would never endanger your job/career, or your social position. Once your innocence is effectively proven, the charges are dropped. If, for whatever reason, you are convicted anyway, your lawyer can do everything possible to soften the repercussions and the punishment.

For additional information, reach out to law firms like the Law Offices of Lynda Latta, LLC.