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Misdemeanor cases are often given little attention because there is not as much jail time attached as for felonies. If you are arrested for a misdemeanor in Harris County, you will probably get dozens of letters from "lawyers" offering to represent you for as little as $50. Don't be misled; misdemeanors are serious. People with misdemeanor convictions (including deferred adjudication probations) often find that they have trouble getting jobs and renting apartments. Misdemeanor convictions for offenses involving dishonesty ("moral turpitude") are often used by government agencies to deny people licenses for occupations that require licensing (for example, nursing or private investigation).
A misdemeanor conviction may also make you a sitting duck for future unfounded charges, because misdemeanor convictions may be used to enhance the seriousness of future charges. For example, if you are convicted of a family violence assault and charged with another family violence assault, the second one is a felony.
Misdemeanor cases may affect the immigration status of people who are not U.S. citizens.
Because of the serious consequences that can result from misdemeanor convictions (including deferred adjudication probations), we treat misdemeanor cases as seriously as we treat felonies, and prepare to defend the misdemeanors as though our clients are facing prison. Fortunately for our clients, many prosecutors do not treat misdemeanors as seriously and do not prepare as thoroughly.
Because of the seriousness with which we treat misdmeanor cases, our fees on such cases are not cheap. They depend, of course, on lots of factors, but you can be sure that a thorough defense of a misdemeanor case will cost you substantially more than $50.
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