Collateral Consequences – an Overview from a Guilford County Criminal Defense Attorney

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Collateral Consequences – an Overview from a Guilford County Criminal Defense Attorney

Collateral Consequences are a Tangled Area of Law, Says Guilford County Criminal Defense Attorney

Unfortunately, a defendant convicted in criminal court can, essentially, be punished twice. First, there is the punishment that the court metes out: costs, fines, community service, probation, jail or prison. Second, there are what are called “collateral consequences,” consequences of a criminal conviction that can hurt a defendant outside of the criminal justice system. Here are some examples:

  • A person convicted of a felony or some domestic violence crimes, even misdemeanors cannot possess a firearm.
  • Some crimes of so-called “moral turpitude” (these include, for example, to include misdemeanor assault on a female) constitute per se deportable offenses for which undocumented detained defendants are immediately slated for deportation by federal officials.

Collateral consequences are a tangled and complicated area of law. And the Court is not required to and often does not instruct individual defendants about the collateral consequences of their convictions. This makes it all the more important to consult an attorney.

 

Contact our Greensboro criminal defense attorneys, who operate in Greensboro, High Point and Randolph County for a free consultation today.