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Talladega County Criminal Defense Attorney

Giving You the Representation You Need for Criminal Defense

Being arrested doesn’t make you guilty of a crime. In fact, 22% of arrests don’t result in any criminal charges at all. Although many innocent people are arrested, the police will attempt to get a confession out of many people they take into custody. 27% of all people exonerated for a crime they did not commit gave a false confession prior to conviction. These confessions are often obtained by the police using special tactics to convince innocent people that making a false confession is the best option for them.

Some people may not even realize they’re making confessions until it’s too late. By that point, the police recorded a suspect’s own words, which could be used against them in a court of law. This is why if you’re arrested for any criminal charges in Alabama, it’s vital to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney to protect your rights.

What Are Criminal Charges in Talladega County?

Criminal charges are formal charges brought against a person arrested for engaging in criminal conduct. Title 13A of Alabama’s criminal code defines all acts, omissions, and conduct that constitute “criminal behavior” in the state of Alabama. According to state law, a criminal act must be intentional, knowing, or reckless.

Crimes are generally considered actions that threaten public safety, the safety of individual people, or the safety of private property. In Alabama, crimes are divided into three categories according to severity. Depending on what level of crime you are charged with, the sentence can be longer, and fines can be higher. These categories are:

  • Felonies
  • Misdemeanors
  • Violations/Infractions

Each level of criminal charge is divided up into smaller categories also based on severity. This is because the state recognizes that not all crimes are equal. For example, a person may be charged with a different degree of assault if they are accused of punching a person versus beating them so severely they require hospitalization. In Alabama, the divisions of criminal charges are:

Felonies

Felonies are the most serious crimes and carry the most severe penalties. These are crimes which greatly endanger the safety of the public and individual people. Felony charges are divided into Class A, B, C, and D levels. Class A felonies are the most severe. The more severe a felony charge, the worse the crime is considered and the harsher the sentence a person faces if they are convicted. Class A felonies include:

  • Murder
  • Rape
  • Domestic Violence
  • Burglary
  • Arson
  • First-Degree Kidnapping

A person convicted of a Class A felony faces a minimum ten-year prison sentence with a possible maximum sentence of life without parole. They also face a fine of up to $60,000. Additionally, those convicted of murder are eligible for the death penalty. As of 2023, Alabama has one of the highest execution rates in the United States. This means someone sentenced to death in Alabama has a high likelihood of their sentence being carried out.

Class B felonies include:

  • Assault
  • Drug Dealing
  • Second-Degree Kidnapping
  • Robbery
  • Manslaughter

Someone convicted of a Class B felony faces a minimum of two years and a maximum of twenty years in prison and/or a fine of up to $30,000.

Class C felonies include:

  • Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance
  • Interfering with Child Custody
  • Bribery
  • Receiving Stolen Goods in the Second Degree (Goods with a Value between $1500-$2500 or Any Stolen Firearms)

Class C felonies are generally punished with jail terms. The minimum recommended sentence is one year and one day in jail, with a maximum penalty of ten years. Those convicted also face a fine of up to $15,000.

Class D felonies are the least severe felonies under Alabama law. These are crimes that are considered serious and still have a potentially large negative impact on society and other people, but they generally do not involve bodily harm or damage that cannot be repaired. Class D felonies include:

  • Using Stolen Credit Card Information
  • Theft of Services (Refusing to Pay for Something You Received)
  • Forgery
  • Receiving Stolen Goods in the Third Degree (Goods with a Value Greater than $500 but Less Than $1499)

Because these crimes are considered less severe, they carry the lowest possible punishment of all felony convictions. Those convicted of a Class D felony face a minimum of one year and one day in jail with a maximum of five years. They also face potential fines of up to $7,500.

Misdemeanors

Misdemeanors are crimes that are considered serious by the State of Alabama but which do not cause as much severe or permanent damage to public safety or other people as felonies. Like felonies, misdemeanors are divided up into their own categories of severity. There are Class A, B, and C misdemeanors. Like felonies, Class A misdemeanors are considered the worst and carry the harshest sentence. Examples of Class A misdemeanors include:

  • Fourth Degree Theft (Theft of Property Worth Less than $500)
  • Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
  • Trespassing

A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $6,000.

Class B misdemeanors include:

  • Animal Cruelty
  • Resisting Arrest
  • Witness Tampering
  • Open House Party (Allowing Minors to Consume Drugs or Alcohol at Your Residence)

A Class B misdemeanor carries a potential sentence of up to six months in jail and/or a $3,000 fine.

Class C misdemeanors are the lowest level of misdemeanor. Like Class D felonies, these are actions that are still considered harmful enough to public and personal safety that they are considered crimes, but not so severe they call for people to be incarcerated for long periods of time. Class C misdemeanors include:

  • Theft of a Shopping Cart
  • Disorderly Conduct
  • Second-Degree Trespassing

These misdemeanors are punishable by up to three months in jail and/or a $500 fine. Something important to remember is that these are only the “biggest” misdemeanor charges. Many minor criminal offenses are also categorized as misdemeanors. For example, most traffic violations in Alabama are technically misdemeanors. While most traffic violation cases will result in your being issued a ticket, there are some circumstances where you may need to appear in court. If this happens, you may be facing a misdemeanor charge.

Infractions/Violations

Infractions/violations are the least severe category of criminal charges in Alabama. These are minor crimes and are often related to traffic violations or minor crimes involving vehicles. Infractions/violations include:

  • Making an Illegal U-Turn
  • Running a Red Light
  • Driving Without a License
  • Driving With a Suspended License
  • Failure to Restrain a Child
  • Third Degree Criminal Trespass (Refusal to Leave a Property That is Not Yours)

Because they are relatively minor, infractions/violations are only punishable by up to thirty days in jail and/or a $200 fine. Most people convicted of an infraction will usually end up with a fine as opposed to jail time.

What Happens if I Am Arrested on Criminal Charges in Talladega County?

If you are arrested on criminal charges in Talladega County, the police will attempt to extract a confession from you. The police have numerous tactics for getting a person to confess. Remember, it is not up to the police to decide if you are guilty or innocent of a crime. Their job is to try and provide evidence to a prosecutor to file charges against a suspect. A suspect’s own words can be some of the most powerful evidence presented in court. Depending on the circumstances, police may attempt to use a variety of tactics to get you to confess, including:

  • Making You Believe Someone Else Has Already Identified You as the Culprit
  • Making You Believe You Will Not Be Charged if You Confess
  • Making You Believe You Will Face Lesser Charges if You Confess
  • Using Leading Questions to Get You to Make an Incriminating Statement
  • Emotional Intimidation, Including Showing You Crime Scene Photos
  • Appealing to Your Religious Beliefs
  • Lying About Evidence
  • Keeping You Isolated

It’s important to remember that the police are allowed to lie to you during an interrogation. They can claim they found evidence linking you to the crime, including DNA or security camera footage. They can also claim that a witness saw you committing the crime even if there were no witnesses. Police will do this in an attempt to make a person believe they have no choice except to confess. Police will try to convince you that by confessing you can get a lighter sentence or even have charges against you dropped. This is almost always a lie.

Once a defendant has confessed or made statements incriminating themselves, the court system is not obligated to give them more lenient treatment. They can use your statements against you to the fullest extent of the law. This can mean your own words can be used to sentence you to life in prison. In some cases, people have even received the death penalty based on confessions they were coerced or manipulated into making.

It’s also important to remember a prosecutor does not care about your guilt or innocence. A jury will decide your guilt or innocence, not the prosecutor. The prosecutor’s job is to do their best to present evidence that you committed the crime in question. They will use any evidence available to them to try and convince the jury of your guilt. This will include anything you said following an arrest.

If you have not requested an attorney, police may also keep you isolated. This may include being left by yourself in an interrogation room for a long period or in a jail cell. This tactic is meant to place psychological pressure on you. Once you have requested an attorney, the police must allow you access to them. This is why it’s vital to request a defense attorney as soon as possible following your arrest. You can request a lawyer as soon as the police have read you your Miranda Rights. Asking for a defense attorney as soon as possible is the best step you can take to try and secure your freedom and your future.

What Should I Do if I Am Arrested in Talladega County?

Once you’re arrested, a clock begins ticking. The police will work as hard as possible to get you to confess to a crime, and the district attorney will be waiting to file charges as soon as they can. If you are arrested in Talladega County, it’s important you immediately contact Jim Golden Law, located at 1916 1st Avenue North Pell City, Alabama 35125.

Jim Golden has a stellar track record in criminal cases and related practice areas. His defense skills are unparalleled. In his years as an Alabama attorney, he has successfully defended countless clients against criminal charges in multiple cities and counties throughout Alabama. He prides himself on preventing his clients from being manipulated by the criminal justice system. He knows all the tactics the police and prosecutors will use to secure a conviction against you, and he knows how to counter them.

Most people don’t realize the majority of arrests do not result in a trial. One reason for this is that a skilled criminal defense lawyer knows how to get cases dropped and negotiate with prosecutors. Jim Golden is one such lawyer. He’ll review all the facts and evidence of a case and work to make sure you don’t even see the inside of a courtroom.

Every day, innocent people are arrested for crimes they didn’t commit. Many of these people will be led into making false confessions that may result in their incarceration. If you or a loved one have been arrested in Talladega County, it’s vital you immediately contact Jim Golden Law at 866-950-6652 or email him for a free consultation. He’ll apply all of his skills as a criminal defense lawyer to protect your rights and help make sure you keep your freedom.