If you’re a student at a Mormon Missionary Center facing criminal charges, the repercussions of a criminal conviction can be devastating. A criminal conviction can impact your future plans such as your ability to enter a full- time mission and even affect the members of your tight congregation. The loss of the money that the family has spent and the hard work preparing to enter the Missionary Training Center can be disappointing for everyone. In addition, you can face steep fines, months or possibly years of prison time, probation or a combination of all these penalties.
A hands-on criminal defense approach can be of great benefit to a Mormon missionary. If your son or daughter is a Mormon missionary arrested and charged with a crime, attorney Darwin Overson stands ready to provide aggressive and trustworthy legal representation. With decades of experience working as a defense lawyer against a wide array of felony and misdemeanors, Darwin Overson is committed to helping his clients. For a free consultation call (801) 516-0463.
Overview of Mormon Missionaries’ Centers Criminal Defense Practice
When you’re charged with a crime, you are called “defendant” throughout the process. The prosecutor is a lawyer appointed by the government to prove the charges brought against defendants. The first hearing or court session is called the indictment, and this is the meeting headed by the judge. You attend this session where the prosecutor informs the incident and charges brought against you. A lot of times there are many charges or accusations based on one event.
A skilled criminal defense lawyer in Utah will be prepared before the indictment and will also communicate with prosecutors in order to examine what options are available. In the case of young missionaries, sometimes the charges can be offenses related to trespass that can happen when proselytizing in your community. Anyone can be charged with many crimes, and your attorney should be prepared to guide you through the process because everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
Classification of Criminal Charges in Utah
Crimes in Utah are classified into three categories: felonies, misdemeanors, and infractions. A defendant charged with a crime in Utah has rights that must be protected. Proof of the criminal charges has to be established “beyond a reasonable doubt.” This is known as the burden of proof for criminal cases. The burden of proof is essentially the level of evidence the prosecution has to proffer in order to establish the defendant’s guilt or innocence. In Utah, the jury has to vote unanimously for the conclusion or verdict to stand.
Not everyone facing criminal charges has to go to jail if other alternatives are viable. An experienced Mormon missionary training center defense attorney should be proactive in determining if these alternatives are available and seek the options available. These alternatives include:
Community Correctional Programs
Community corrections programs provide opportunities to reform or rehabilitate at a correction center. If. convicted, the imposed prison term is served in a residential or community setting outside of jail or prison.
Alternatives to Incarceration
A seasoned criminal attorney will work with professionals and prepare to present alternatives to incarceration and explain to the judge if one and how the programs are appropriate. Alternatives to imprisonment can include probation, community service, reparations/restitution, and court-ordered addiction treatments or therapeutic treatments. Troubled students can take the opportunities offered to transform a criminal prosecution into a life-impacting learning experience.
Avoiding Prejudiced Decisions Against Mormon Missionaries
Not all evidence or proof should be admitted in a court of law. Even some information that is admissible should be objected if it will mislead or influence the judgment of the jurors and judge. In the case of Mormon missionaries, criminal defense attorneys should ensure that the defendant’s religious beliefs don’t become a part of the prosecution. The information tending to have this detrimental effect is usually an event that can lead to interpretations as to values and other unfounded misconceptions. If this information can influence the judgment of the jurors, then it may lead to the risk of “fundamental unfairness.” Skilled criminal attorneys are always looking for ways in which to prevent all unfairness, especially anything that can have a negative impact in the final conclusions. Lawyers must alert the judge of any evidence of this nature and avoid jury review of this evidence or, if admitted, preserve the right to contest it in appeal. There are many ways in which prosecutors can allude to religion in impactful ways, and this has to be avoided if it will prevent unfair findings.
Expungement of Criminal Record in Utah
There are some crimes that can be expunged or removed from a record in Utah. An experienced criminal defense attorney can help a young Mormon missionary continue his life’s vocation without criminal conviction record creating significant hurdles. There are ways to expunge or remove criminal conviction records. A criminal defense lawyer for Mormon Missionary Centers should seek this option when appropriate.
Call Your Salt Lake City, Utah Criminal Defense Lawyer for Mormon Missionary Centers
Mormon missionaries work in these centers selflessly devote their efforts to their vocation– to proselytize work or serve the center–and that there are potentially severe discipline consequences within the Mormon Church. A setback in the life a Mormon missionary doesn’t have to define the rest of his or her life, and all the future doesn’t have to be determined by a criminal charge. Attorneys working at the law offices of Darwin Overson are committed to fighting for the rights of Mormon missionaries. Attorney Darwin Overson, with his dedicated team, can fight for reduced penalties, reduced charges, or even a complete dismissal of the charges.
Darwin Overson has a long track record of obtaining acquittals and other favorable outcomes for young defendants – even if the charges involve a complex criminal case. For a free legal consultation with an experienced criminal attorney, contact us online today, or call Darwin Overson at (801) 516-0463.
