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South Carolina Criminal Lawyer

Call (888) 519-6013 to speak with a criminal defense attorney.

According to the FBI, in 2007, South Carolina topped the nation in violent crime rates. A sinking economy, budget cuts, easy access to guns and a populace used to solving problems with knives and bullets are all factors in the violence now, officials said, which has left prosecutors and law enforcement chiefs astonished and confused with this ranking.

South Carolina criminal lawyers and attorneys represent individuals who have been charged with crimes by arguing their cases in courts of law. If you have been accused of a crime in South Carolina , whether or not you are guilty, you will need to hire a South Carolina criminal lawyer to represent you.

Criminal law, also known as penal law, is a system by which the government or state, going through a prosecutor, can charge a person with a crime. The legal definition of a crime is as any act or omission of an act omission in violation of a public law forbidding or commanding it. Though there are some common law crimes, most crimes in the United States are established by local, state, and federal governments. Criminal laws vary significantly from state to state.

There are other kinds of cases such as civil cases, that involve individuals and organizations seeking to resolve legal disputes. In a civil case, it is the victim or the victim's family, if the victim is deceased, which brings the suit against the person, group of persons, organization, or company. If you wish to sue a convicted criminal for damages resulting from a crime, you will need to hire a civil lawyer or attorney. Even if the person was not convicted, you may still sue them for damages. Hire a South Carolina civil lawyer or attorney if this is your situation.

Crimes include both felonies and misdemeanors. Felonies are more serious of the two, and include such crimes as arson, sexual battery or sexual assault, aggravated battery or aggravated assault, grand theft, and homicide. Some examples of misdemeanors are tax evasion, prostitution, assault, petty theft, burglary, robbery and drug possession.

Generally, those who are found liable in a civil case are ordered to pay restitution or give up property. Those who are convicted in a criminal case may face various forms of punishment, the most common being fines and incarceration. A person convicted of a misdemeanor, if sentenced to incarceration, will usually fulfill that sentence in a local jail, and usually will be in jail for a time period of less than 12 months. For a felony conviction, incarceration of over a year is more common, and typically the sentence is to imprisonment in a state or federal prison facility.

Other sentences may include probation or a suspended sentence, enrollment in a treatment or rehabilitation program, or community service. Convicted felons may lose certain privileges, such as the right to run for or hold public office, the right to hold a professional license, or the right to vote.

If you have been involved in a crime or have been arrested, contact a criminal lawyer immediately. A good criminal lawyer or attorney will be familiar with South Carolina laws, as well as with federal laws, and will understand court interpretations of federal and state constitutions.

South Carolina attorneys will also be familiar with court customs and procedures, and are aware of significant precedents in the area of law under which you have been charged. They may even have handled similar cases before. Once you retain a criminal attorney, they will review your case, line up witnesses, gather evidence, and do research in order to achieve the best results possible in your favor. If your case goes to court, they will argue before a jury on your behalf.

If you are ready to contact a South Carolina criminal lawyer or attorney, visit the American Bar Association website. The ABA features a lawyer locator, which can help you search for a criminal lawyer or attorney in South Carolina. Access is free.