A felony in the State of Florida is often a crime that is punishable by serving up to one year in prison. Not only are felonies serious crimes, but they can also mean losing civil rights.

Some of a citizen’s most basic civil rights can include:

• Right to vote
• Right to carry a firearm
• Employment
• Military status
• Financial aid
• …and more

If you’ve been charged with a felony, you not only risk losing your civil rights, but you can also serve prison time. Find out how you might be able to preserve some of your rights.

A felony is a punishable crime that can include:

• 10/20/Life – possession of a firearm; use of a firearm during a crime
• Possession of drugs or marijuana with the intent to sell
• Drug trafficking – carrying or moving illegal drugs over state or county lines
• Fleeing from law enforcement
• Aggravated assault and battery
• Grand theft – theft of property valued more than $300
• Burglary or robbery – including home invasion robbery
• Felony domestic violence
• Felony DUI
• Sex crimes– including child pornography
• Kidnapping
• Child abuse or neglect
• Violations of probation
• Armed trespassing
• Murder or manslaughter
• Fraud cases
• White collar crimes – identify theft

There are also three degrees to a felony, and each comes with its own set of penalties, fines, and prison sentences. So an individual charged with any of the above felonies will also be charged a first, second or third degree.

So how can a criminal attorney help with a felony case?

A good criminal defense attorney can help with a felony case by performing research, questioning any witnesses that may have been present at the crime, analyzing evidence, and negotiating on behalf of clients. Additionally, an attorney might use his or her negotiation skills in order to lessen a sentence.

For example, if an individual is charged with first degree grand theft, then a criminal defense attorney might be able to drop the charge to a second or third degree felony instead, depending on the case, evidence, and so on, of course.

If you’ve been charged with a felony, don’t give up hope…no matter how serious or incriminating the evidence may seem. If you’ve been charged, contact a reputable West Palm Beach FL criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. While it might be challenging or scary to face the charges brought against you, the best first move to make is contacting an attorney.

To learn about your legal options or to discuss how we might be able to help you in your case, contact the legal team at Farkas & Crowley today. We are located in West Palm Beach but have experience serving and representing clients throughout the state of Florida.

Give us a call today at 561-444-9529 for a free case evaluation.