Salt Lake Misdemeanor
Lawyer - Out-of-State Defendants
Can I handle a Salt Lake
misdemeanor criminal charge without appearing in court if I live
out-of-state?
If
you have been charged with a crime while visiting Utah, it may be
possible to resolve the case without requiring a return trip for court.
In some cases, a personal court appearance will be required. But in
other cases, a criminal defense attorney can appear on your behalf and
resolve the matter without requiring you to appear personally in court.
If you intend to
take your case to trial, your presence at trial can be vital to a
successful outcome. But often times, your appearance can be waived at
pretrial conferences or other preliminary court proceedings. Depending
on the facts of the case, past record of the defendant,
positions taken by the prosecutor, and the goals of the defendant, a
negotiated resolution may be possible that would not require a personal
appearance.
Having
the assistance of an experienced criminal defense lawyer can help limit
unnecessary travel time and costs. More important, your attorney can
help ensure that your rights are protected through the entire criminal
court process.
As a
criminal defense attorney in
Salt Lake City, Stephen Howard has handled many misdemeanor and felony
cases for
clients living
out-of-state,
often without the client ever returning to Utah.
Contact us today to arrange
for an initial consultation regarding your Utah criminal case.
Negotiated Resolutions for Out-of-State Residents
If you have been in Salt Lake City or other places in Utah, whether for
business, on vacation, or just while passing through, and have found
yourself facing
misdemeanor
or
felony
criminal charges, you have a number of options for dealing with the
charges. A jury trial is only one of those options. In many cases, a
negotiated resolution will actually result in a better outcome.
If you anticipate
reaching a
negotiated
resolution
in your case, arrangements can sometimes be made to allow a plea to be
made in absentia (by notarized affidavit). In
order to effectively resolve your in absentia, all
important disputed points in the case should be resolved by
negotiations between the
parties. In some cases, there may be a negotiated resolution
reducing the level of the offense, or dismissing some charges in
exchange for a plea to another charge. In other cases, a
plea-in-abeyance agreement may be reached, which would ultimately
result in the dismissal of charges.
In cases where a prosecutor is seeking jail time, a defendant will
generally better off
appearing personally at a
sentencing
hearing, in order
to give the court the best reasons not to impose a jail sentence. If
the issue of incarceration cannot be resolved through
negotiations, then a plea in absentia may not be appropriate for your
case.
In
felony
cases, Utah law generally requires a defendant to appear in
person. But in some instances, an experienced defense
attorney
may be able to negotiate a reduction in the charges to the misdemeanor
level. If a misdemeanor reduction is achieved, then Utah law
provides the same opportunity to prepare an appropriate affidavit
whereby the defendant may enter a plea in absentia.
Taking a Criminal Case to Trial
If you intend to
take
your case to
trial,
you should plan on appearing in court at least for the trial. Prior to
a trial, there may be a variety of motion hearings, scheduling
conferences, etc. With the court's permission, your appearance at many
of these preliminary pre-trial hearings may be waived. You may instead
have
your attorney
appear on your behalf.
Contact a Utah Criminal Lawyer in Salt Lake City

Stephen
Howard has successfully defended clients facing charges ranging from
homicide to DUI, and virtually everything in between. If you
are
facing criminal charges in Salt Lake City, or elsewhere in Utah, your
best strategy is to contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer.
Based in Salt Lake City, Utah
criminal
defense attorney Stephen Howard offers legal services to
clients throughout Utah.
Contact
us today to arrange for an initial consultation.
RELATED CRIMINAL DEFENSE TOPICS