Missouri Criminal Defense Lawyers(888) 439-4244
Don't Let Your Missouri Criminal Charge Ruin Your Life
I will defend your rights. . . and your freedom!
Arrested in Missouri? Penalties and punishments for Missouri Criminal offenses can be harsh, and need to be aggressively defended as quickly as possible to preserve your most important defense options in court.
Any criminal charge is serious, the sooner a defense attorney is working on your case, the more chances you'll have to beat the charges.
The criminal penalties for each Class below are just guidelines. Any actual sentence may vary widely depending on your case, aggravating and mitigating factors and the judge involved. Some crimes have specific penalties in the statues for a specific offense apart from the classes of misdemeanors or felonies.
We represent clients facing charges of everything from careless driving to serious felony drug charges, as well as bad checks, operating on a suspended license, and any other felony of misdemeanor charges across Missouri. If you can't find the information you need here, please call (888) 439-4244 for a free consultation, or contact us and on of our experienced Missouri criminal defense attorneys will tell you what you need to know.
What Penalties am I Facing on for a Missouri Criminal Charge?
According to Missouri Criminal Laws (Section 557), Offenses are broken down and classified into the following categories, ranked from most serious to least serious:
- Felonies (Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D)
- Misdemeanors (Class A, Class B, Class C)
- Infractions
The maximum penalties for each offense are as follows:
| Penalties | Types of Charges | |
|---|---|---|
| Class A Felony | Maximum Penalty: Death, life imprisonment, imprisonment for 10-30 years. | Examples of Class A felonies include second degree murder, first degree robbery. |
| Class B Felony | Maximum Penalty: imprisonment for 5 to 15 years. | Examples of Class B felonies include voluntary manslaughter, 2nd degree robbery, 1st degree burglary. |
| Class C Felony | Maximum Penalty: imprisonment for up to 7 years, fines up to $5000. | Examples of Class C felonies include involuntary manslaughter, Stealing (valued $500-$25000) and second degree assault. |
| Class D Felony | Maximum Penalty: imprisonment for up to 4 years & Fine up to $5000, or twice the amount of the offender's gain, up to $20,000. | Examples of Class D felonies include passing a bad check / fraud, other forms of fraud. |
| Class A Misdemeanor | Maximum Penalty: up to 1 year in jail, and a fine of up to $1000. | Examples of class A misdemeanors include fraud / fraudulent use of a credit card / device, if the value is less that $150, passing bad checks under $500, and 3rd degree assault. |
| Class B Misdemeanor | Maximum Penalty: From 30 days up to six months in jail, and a fine of up to $500. | Examples of Class B misdemeanors include a First (1st) offense DWI/DUI, and first degree trespass. |
| Class C Misdemeanor | Maximum Penalty: up to 15 days in jail, and a fine of up to $300. | Examples are driving with excessive blood alcohol content, 1st offense. |
| Infraction | No imprisonment penalty authorized. Fines of up to $200. |
Any conviction on a criminal charge can leave you with a permanent criminal record, that can negatively impact your life in hundreds of ways. Background checks are commonplace by potential employers, landlords, or anyone.
Don't plead guilty to any charge without consulting an attorney first. And even if you think you are guilty, there may be defenses and plea deals that can keep your record clean.
Call for a free consultation on any Missouri Criminal Charge.
(888) 439-4244. (and in also Kansas)
Kansas City, MO - Jackson County Missouri Criminal Defense Attorney -
St. Louis, MO Defense Attorney
Missouri Criminal Defense Attorneys handles cases throughout the St. Louis and Kansas City, MO area, including Cass, Clay, Jackson, Lafayette, and Platte Counties and the entire St. Louis metropolitan area.