London Criminal Defense Lawyer
If you’ve been arrested for a crime in London or Southeast Kentucky, call the Cessna & George Law Firm before you do anything else. We can help position you for the best outcome in your case. We’ll make sure your constitutional rights are observed and respected, and we’ll keep you from making any mistakes that can hurt your case. We look at all available defenses and fight to get the best result for you, whether that may be getting the charges dismissed, dropped or reduced, getting parole or pretrial diversion, or winning a not-guilty verdict at trial.
Any arrest is serious and can have negative and lasting repercussions on your life, but it’s always worthwhile to explore your options with an experienced and dedicated criminal defense lawyer before making any statements to the police or entering a plea. Call the London criminal defense attorneys at Cessna & George Law Firm for a free consultation. We handle the full range of Kentucky and federal misdemeanor and felony offenses, including DUI, drug trafficking charges, white-collar crimes, conspiracy, and more.
DUI
Driving under the influence (DUI) can be charged whenever a breath test shows a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08% or more, or when the driver is considered to be “under the influence” of alcohol. If convicted of DUI, penalties include fines ranging from $200 to $500, 48 hours to 30 days in jail, or community labor. The defendant’s driver’s license is also suspended for six months, and they are sent into a 90-day alcohol program. All of these penalties are for a first-time offense; penalties increase significantly for subsequent offenses, and a fourth DUI in ten years can be charged as a felony with punishment up to five years in prison, $10,000 in fines and a five-year driver’s license suspension.
Aggravating circumstances can also increase the penalties for any DUI offense. Aggravating circumstances include:
- Having a BAC of .15% or more
- Refusing to take a breath test
- Causing death or serious injury
- Excessive speed
- Driving the wrong way
- Driving with a passenger under 12 years old in the car
It is not illegal to drink and drive. It is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08% or more, to drive under the influence of alcohol, or to have one’s driving ability impaired. The prosecution has to prove that these facts exist before you can be convicted of a DUI, and you may have one or more defenses available. Our London DUI defense lawyers will look at all the circumstances and challenge the prosecution wherever applicable. Common defenses to a DUI include:
- The police did not have a sufficient reason to pull you over
- The police did not have a sufficient reason to order a test of your BAC
- The equipment or method used to test your BAC is not reliable
- The officer was not adequately trained to observe signs of intoxication
- Procedural errors were made during the arrest or afterward
If you get pulled over for drunk driving, don’t be fooled into believing that’s the end of the story. Talk to an experienced London DUI defense attorney to consider your options and get the best result.
Drug Crimes
When it comes to drug offenses, police and prosecutors are notorious about arresting everybody in sight and charging the most serious crimes they can think of, hoping to get cooperation in return or a guilty plea to a lesser offense. We don’t play games with your future and hold the government to what they can prove in court, not what they threaten in a police station or holding cell. If you are charged with a serious drug felony like possession with intent to sell or trafficking in a controlled substance, you might have several defenses available, including:
- Unlawful search and seizure
- The drugs in question were not yours
- You did not know drugs were present or that the substance was illegal
- You had no intent to sell or distribute
- The prosecution does not present the drugs in court or prove chain of custody
Drug charges are serious and not to be dealt with lightly, but there’s no reason to fall victim to police intimidation either. Make your first call be to the Cessna & George Law Firm to get knowledgeable legal advice about your options and the best path forward after a drug trafficking arrest in London or Southeast Kentucky.
White-Collar Crimes
White-collar crimes are generally defined as offenses that are committed through fraud or deception as opposed to the use or threat of force or violence. Common white-collar crimes include:
- Embezzlement
- Forgery
- Tax Crimes
- Computer Crimes
- Mail Fraud/Wire Fraud
- Identity Theft
- Credit Card Fraud
- Pyramid and Ponzi Schemes
White-collar offenses might be charged in Kentucky state or federal court. Penalties can include lengthy prison sentences, but punishments for white-collar crimes are mostly known for the ridiculously high fines courts impose, along with asset seizure and forfeiture of cash, cars, boats, and jewelry, and orders to make restitution. Convictions for white-collar crimes can be costly in many ways, and the charges are often worth fighting.
Federal law enforcement agencies in particular may take months building a criminal case before making any arrests, and they might approach you for an interview during that time. It can be difficult to know whether you are being questioned as a witness or potential suspect, but any errors you make when talking to federal agents can constitute a crime the government will use against you to force cooperation or a guilty plea. With our criminal defense attorneys on your side, we can intervene on your behalf during an investigation and possibly negotiate what charges get filed, how an arrest is effected, or even keep charges from being filed at all. We’ll also advise you on your best options, whether to cooperate with law enforcement, negotiate a plea, or fight the charges in court. We vigorously represent people charged with white-collar criminal offenses in London and Southeast Kentucky and would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and advise you accordingly.
Conspiracy
A criminal conspiracy is defined under Kentucky law as an agreement with one or more persons that at least one of them will commit a crime or attempt or solicit a crime, or an agreement to help another person plan or commit a crime. Conspiracy can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the object of the conspiracy. Federal criminal laws prohibit conspiracies as well, and both state and federal prosecutors are often charged whenever multiple defendants are involved, especially if one of the defendants confesses to a conspiracy. Conspiracy charges are especially serious for defendants because they can be charged together with another crime or all by themselves, and any single defendant can be charged with the acts of other people alleged to be in the conspiracy, even if the defendant did not carry out any criminal acts. For instance, if someone got killed in a bank robbery, the getaway driver could be charged with murder even if all he did was drive the car.
Defense to conspiracy charges include:
- Lack of intent
- Lack of an agreement
- No overt act in furtherance of a conspiracy
Help With Criminal Defense in London and Southeast Kentucky
Being arrested for a criminal offense is only the beginning, not the end, of the story. Contact an experienced and successful criminal defense attorney before you do anything else to position yourself in the best light for a positive outcome. In London and Southeast Kentucky, call the Cessna & George Law Firm at 606-770-5400 for a free consultation on your case.
