When you are arrested for a serious crime, you need to hire the best criminal attorney in New Mexico . You could be facing serious fines, loss of your freedom and a long time criminal record. Crimes are classified as misdemeanors or felonies. Generally speaking misdemeanors are crimes punishable by less than a year in prison and felonies more than a year.

A lot of people have had a misdemeanor conviction in their past for something they did in their youth. They paid their dues and moved on with their lives. When you are convicted of a felony, it is much more difficult to do your time and move on. A felony record can affect your ability to find housing and employment. You can lose your right to vote. This is on top of the probation or parole, jail time and fines. One of the most common crimes in the United States is DUI. It is unfortunate but as the laws tighten and law enforcement cracks down with checkpoints and task forces more and more people are caught up in the net. Many states are making a 1 st time DUI very serious. You can lose your license, spend at least a day in jail and pay hefty fines. If you are lucky, you will get the chance to reduce your felony DUI to a misdemeanor DUI through an alcohol treatment program or community service. You can refuse to perform tests when you get pulled over but the consequences are serious such as losing your license for one year even if you are found not guilty of DUI. Your best bet is to cooperate fully and contact an attorney as soon as possible. There are many differences in criminal law when you get into the area of violent crime. Everyone has heard the terms 1 st degree or 2 nd degree murder. This is simply a distinction concerning the state of mind of the person believed to have committed the crime. The punishment can differ greatly from years in prison to the death penalty. Obviously those facing these serious crimes need the best representation they can afford even if they are guilty of the crime. The distinctions between degrees of crime are large enough that a criminal lawyer could potentially get you a reduced charge through a plea deal. Find the best criminal attorney in New Mexico that specializes in your type of charge so you have someone in your corner fighting for you.