Welcome back and thanks for joining The Kronzek Firm again. We’ve been discussing the many things you end up having to fork money out for when you get into trouble with the law. In the previous article we talked about bail bonds, court costs, and restitution payments. But those certainly aren’t the only things that could cost you an arm and a leg after you get arrested. There are many other expenses you could incur along the way, like…
Being accused of a crime might end up costing you serious money!
Attorney’s fees:
Yes, we know, you could avoid this one altogether by getting a court-appointed attorney if you qualify as low income. But let’s be honest, when it comes to attorneys, like other things in life, you often get what you pay for. And no, we’re not trying to slam the public defender’s office. They do an incredibly hard job with more clients than ants in an ant hill, and a shoe-string budget that would make your local homeless shelter’s budget look lavish. We can’t begin to tell you how much time, effort, hard work, and skill goes into a well crafted criminal defense, which is just one of the many reasons we recommend hiring a highly skilled and highly recommended attorney, as opposed to just taking whatever freebie the court hands you. Hire a top notch criminal defense attorney, because you’re worth it.
Fines:
Similar to court fees, fines are “punishment payments” ordered by the court that a defendant has to pay. This can mean fines for civil infractions like traffic tickets, including blocking or impeding traffic, not yielding to a stop sign, or having an expired license plate. However, it can also refer to criminal fines, which a Judge can order you to pay instead of serving time. Most judges, however, assess fines as well as jail or prison time. Michigan’ penal code assigns fines to most crimes, including drug-related crimes, drunk driving, and even child abuse. If you’re convicted of a crime in Michigan, the Judge is likely to make you pay for it with money as well as with your time!
Court Ordered Classes & Accessories:
On certain occasions, the court will mandate certain classes that a defendant will be required to take as part of their probation or alternative sentencing. This could include substance abuse counseling, anger management classes, or even Domestic Violence classes (called the Batterers Intervention Program). In many of these cases, the classes come at a financial cost that the defendant is required to cover. If the court orders you to sign up for certain classes, assessment or therapy, expect to foot the bill as well as attending the classes. The same goes for court ordered “accessories” like home monitoring devices, ignition interlock devices and GPS ankle bracelets, which usually come with a daily cost that the wearer is expected to pay. Money, money, money…
It’s costly to be charged with a crime in Michigan, so watch out!
From the first moment that cops slaps the cuffs on you, your bank account is going to spring a leak. Being charged with a crime is expensive, hiring a great lawyer is expensive, paying fines and fees and restitution charges is expensive. In fact, there’s very little about this entire process that isn’t going to put the squeeze on your finances. But one thing we can promise you is that when you hire The Kronzek Firm’s highly skilled criminal defense attorneys, you’re going to get every penny’s worth! So call 866 7NoJail and make sure your team includes mid-Michigan’s trial team with a fantastic reputation and a long track record of success. We can be reached 24/7 at 1 866 766-5245.