Utah Felony Defense Attorney - Salt Lake Criminal Lawyer
Utah
criminal defense attorney Stephen Howard has extensive
experience defending serious felony
cases in Utah. Mr. Howard's
track record
includes not guilty verdicts or dismissals in cases including
aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, forgery, drug charges
and more. He has the knowledge, skill, and determination to ensure that
your rights are protected. He works personally with each client to
develop a defense strategy designed to achieve the best results
possible.
Based in Salt Lake City, Mr. Howard offers criminal defense services to clients facing felony and
misdemeanor prosecution throughout Utah.
Contact us today
to schedule a confidential consultation.
Strategy in Defending Felony Charges in Utah
The best
strategy
for defending against a Utah felony prosecution will depend on the
facts of the case, careful legal analysis, and consideration of the
client's goals and needs. Some cases will benefit from an aggressive
defense involving motions to suppress evidence, evidentiary hearings, a
motion to quash a bindover, or jury trial. In other cases, the client
may be better served by presenting a mitigation defense that opens the
door to a better negotiated resolution.
As a Utah felony
defense attorney based in Salt Lake City, Mr. Howard has conducted jury
trials in cases including murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery,
burglary, sexual abuse, and more. He has also successfully negotiated
resolutions that kept his clients out of jail or even resulted in
dismissal of charges in cases including robbery, kidnapping, forgery,
fraud, drug cases, and more. Whether you intend to take your case to
trial or hope instead to work out a negotiated resolution, Mr. Howard
has the experience, skill, and knowledge necessary to take on even the
most serious charges in Utah.
Consequences of a Felony Conviction in Utah
A Utah felony conviction can
have devastating consequences. If you are facing criminal
charges
for a Utah felony offense, you need an experienced and effective
Utah
criminal defense attorney
on your side. Stephen Howard has defended literally thousands
of
serious felony charges during his career - everything from
riot to
aggravated murder, from
DUI
to
drug
distribution, and from
forgery
to securities
fraud.
Potential Prison Sentences for Utah Felony Convictions: Under
Utah law, a felony is any criminal offense that is punishable by more
than a year of incarceration. A third degree felony
is
punishable by up to five years in prison. A second degree
felony
is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. A first degree
felony
can result in a sentence of life in prison. The death penalty in Utah is reserved only for aggravated murder.
Fines in Utah Felony Cases:
Fines in Utah felony cases are determined by the judge. The maximum
potential fine for a third degree felony conviction is $5,000 (plus an
additional 90% surcharge). Both second and first-degree felony
convictions carry a possible $10,000 fine (plus an additional 90%
surcharge). In many felony cases, the court may also order that
restitution be paid by the defendant for injuries or damages caused by
the defendant's criminal conduct.
Indeterminate Sentencing in Utah Felony Cases: If you are
sentenced to prison, the judge does not determine how much time you
will actually serve. Instead, Utah uses what is called
"indeterminate" sentencing. That means that the judge has
discretion (in most cases) to determine that the prison term should be
suspended with conditions of probation, or determine instead to execute
the prison sentence. If probation is denied in a felony case, the judge
imposes a prison sentence for the range of time determined by statute
(e.g. 1-15 years). The determination of how much prison time will
actually be served is
then left to the
Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.
Felony Consequences Beyond the Courtroom in Utah
Beyond
prison or jail time, a felony conviction in Utah carries other serious
consequences. A felony conviction can affect the right to
carry
a firearm or to hunt, your ability to obtain certain
professional licenses, the right to vote, and the right to serve on a
jury. A felony conviction can affect the ability to get
a
job or get financial aid for school. A felony conviction can
make it harder to find housing, or could even result in an eviction
from your current residence. A felony
drug
conviction can result in a driver license suspension.
Felony convictions do not "expire" or automatically disappear
from a person's record, no matter how much time passes. But the
consequences of a felony conviction can often be eliminated by having
your record
expunged
or by obtaining an order from the court reducing the offense to a
misdemeanor
level (a "
402 reduction").
A 402 reduction may also be used in some circumstances to restore a
person's eligibility for expungement. If you have already been
convicted of a felony,
contact
us to see how we may be able to help you.
Finding a Felony Defense Attorney in Salt Lake City, Utah

Based
in
Salt
Lake City, criminal defense attorney Stephen Howard offers
legal services to people throughout Utah. His record of successful
results for clients includes not guilty verdicts at
trial,
outright dismissals, and
appellate
reversals in cases involving some of the most serious felony charges on
the books in Utah. If you are facing a
Utah felony
charge, you need an experienced Utah criminal defense attorney on your
side.
Contact us
now to schedule an initial consultation.