Criminal

A crime is a wrong against the state. When a crime is committed, the government is prosecuting the individual. In other words, the whole weight of the state is against the person. There will never be a greater imbalance of authority. A lawyer will serve to put things back in balance.

When a person is charged with a misdemeanor, the officer or the charging authority may be making a quick decision. Errors are made.

Or witnesses may simply have the wrong impression of what they have witnessed.

Both the facts and the law should be challenged. It may be that a plea of guilty or no contest is the best choice, but it is a choice which should be made with the benefit of legal counsel.

Be aware also that you should not plead guilty under circumstances where there may be civil consequences. Instead, you should there utilize the plea of no contest.

And be aware that certain criminal records can be expunged. In other words, they are erased, for most purposes, such that the crime is deemed never to have occurred.