Everyone knows to expect jail time. However, expectations, of course, depend on the circumstances and the person’s prior record and particular crime.
Always, someone should expect fines and costs. Often, the person is sentence for a period of probation, which can be up to 2 years for misdemeanor and up to 5 years for felony.
Within the terms of probation, the judge can basically order that person to do anything that he feels is rationally related to the crime. This could also be deterrence, education, or treatment for the defendant.
Can a Judge Impose Any Sort of Punishment For Probation?
Occasionally, judges will make people write an essay on a specific topic or do community service at a specific, crime-related place.
The judge might make the person do certain types of schoolwork, classes, or listen to his parents. Some judges, depending upon whether they’re outraged by a case or not, will come up with unique punishments.
Which Crimes Would Require Just a Fine?
Anything that is a crime, even a misdemeanor or a felony, can always be punished with probation or jail.
In some circumstances, the judge will impose a fine when he feels it’s sufficient for the crime.
Therefore, for example, I recently worked on a disorderly conduct case in which my client smashed somebody’s phone during an argument. However, the client never had any prior record; no drugs or alcohol were involved; and the parties will no longer be around each other.
In that case, we were able to convince the judge to impose a fine and nothing else. Thusly, the client did not get probation or jail.
However, those circumstances are really up to the judge. The judge must be sure that the fine is sufficient for the case.
Can Minor Crimes, like Shoplifting, Possession of a Certain Amount of Marijuana, or Harassment Get Me Just a Fine? Could Those Lead to Jail Time, As Well?
Every crime that is classified as a misdemeanor or a felony can be punished by jail. Receiving jail, probation, or a fine is up to the judge.
Thusly, the judge could be convinced to give only the fine if he thought the fine was appropriate under the circumstances. However, he also has many options.
The judge is never limited to a fine, unless it’s a civil infraction. This is typically a speeding ticket or a noise violation.
How Does the Court Expect Someone To Pay a Fine?
People can pay fines with cash, check, and credit card. Know that the credit card requires a fee.
What’s the Maximum Amount that Someone Could Pay for a Fine?
Today, I was in court with a possession of heroin charge. The judge made the client aware that the maximum fine is $25,000.
However, I’ve never seen anybody have a fine anywhere close to that for a normal criminal matter. The more common amounts of fines is somewhere in the area of $300 to $500.This could reach $1,000 in certain types of cases.However, usually that ballpark is common for fines.
Can An Attorney Help Reduce the Amount of My Fine?
Unless you’re facing very large fines, it’s usually not worth hiring an attorney.
An attorney can make the most impact when trying to reduce the actual punishment, such as jail time, length of probation, terms of probation, freedom to travel for work, etc.
During probation, you cannot leave the state of Michigan without the court’s permission.Thusly, people who have jobs that require them to travel or travel frequently for family reasons must make sure they obtain permission.During these times, the attorneys can be the most helpful.
Can Courts Impose Additional Fees, like Processing Fees?
Yes, there are additional fees. Often, these are called crime victim’s rights fee.
Sometimes, there is restitution. If you’re on probation, they make you pay the probation fee every month.
Other fees include class fees, community service fees, etc. Thusly, many charges do add up, depending on what they make you do.
For more information on Sentencing for Crimes, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you’re seeking by calling (248) 451-2200 today.
