Mason City Criminal Defense Lawyer

Mason City Criminal Defense Attorney

Criminal charges are incredibly stressful and can result in incarceration, fines, and other penalties. The outcome of a criminal case can affect the rest of your life. If you have been arrested for a crime in Mason City or the North Central Iowa area, it’s essential to work with experienced legal representation. The criminal law system is confusing and scary without a criminal defense attorney. Even if you’ve committed the crime, you deserve compassionate and understanding legal counsel. You are not automatically guilty. An effective defense from your attorney can prevent or limit the consequences of your criminal charge.

O’Mara Law Office: A Defense You Can Trust

At O’Mara Law Office, PLLC, our attorneys have more than 10 years of combined experience in criminal defense law. We can help you handle the complex legal issues of your criminal case. We know how important the outcome of your case is to the rest of your life, and that’s why we give each one our undivided attention. We focus our time and resources on obtaining the most positive outcome possible for your case.

If you or a loved one has been charged with a crime in Mason City, IA, O’Mara Law Office, PLLC, provides compassionate and strategic legal defense. We can ensure that you understand your legal options and your rights as we work with you at every step of the process.

Criminal Cases We Handle

The attorneys at O’Mara Law Office, PLLC, provide defense for several criminal charges, including:

• Murder and Homicide: This is an exceptionally serious charge, and conviction may result in a Class A or B felony, which includes penalties of 25 years to life in prison. If you’ve been charged with murder, it’s essential to receive an effective criminal defense.
• OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) Defense: Also called a DUI or DWI, being convicted of driving under the influence can lead to fines, jail time, and the loss of your license.
• Assault: An assault charge can be very serious, especially if there are aggravating factors like the use of a firearm. Assault accusations may also be the result of self-defense or false accusations. It’s important to have a criminal defense attorney determine the ideal legal route to take.
• Domestic Assault: Domestic violence and abuse charges can lead to civil penalties like no-contact or protective orders in addition to criminal charges. A defense lawyer can work to mitigate the effect these charges have on your life.
• Violation of No-Contact Orders: A no-contact order is a criminal protective order that prevents a person from contacting a person that they have committed a violent crime against. Violating these civil orders can result in further criminal charges.
• Drug Possession: Even a first-time conviction of drug possession is a serious misdemeanor that results in fines and potentially up to a year of imprisonment. It’s essential that an attorney work to build an effective defense against these charges.
• Theft and Burglary: This crime may be charged as a felony or a misdemeanor, depending on the circumstances and aggravating factors.
• White-Collar Crimes: White-collar crimes are generally nonviolent financial crimes. These crimes include fraud, forgery, identity theft, credit card theft, and embezzlement. The penalties for white-collar crimes are substantial and shouldn’t be faced without legal representation.

Our attorneys can help you with other criminal charges and ensure that our representation meets the needs of your specific situation. Being charged with a crime does not automatically make you guilty in the eyes of the law. Your defense strategy needs to be strong.

Do I Need a Mason City Criminal Defense Attorney?

Being charged with a crime is a stressful and often scary experience. Working with an attorney gives you the greatest chance of having your charges reduced or dropped. Public defenders work hard to provide good legal counsel, but they often have too large a caseload to devote the necessary time and resources to your case. The more complex or serious your case is, the more you need someone who can effectively advocate for your rights and do so unimpeded.

The criminal law system isn’t simple to navigate. Criminal law is confusing and changes constantly. Being charged with a crime means that the prosecutors on your case will be state attorneys with significant resources. You need an attorney who can focus all their efforts and the firm’s resources on defending your interests.

Consequences of Criminal Charges

Iowa criminal charges include infractions, petty offenses, misdemeanors, and felonies. There are different levels of misdemeanors and felonies:

• Simple Misdemeanor: This results in up to 30 days in jail and fines between $105 and $850.
• Serious Misdemeanor: A serious misdemeanor conviction results in up to 1 year in jail and a fine between $430 and $2,565.
• Aggravated Misdemeanor: This charge is the most serious of the misdemeanor charges, and its penalties include up to 2 years in prison or one year in jail and fines between $855 and $8,540.
• Class D Felony: A Class D felony is the least serious felony charge. Penalties include up to 5 years in prison and fines between $1,025 and $10,245.
• Class C Felony: This results in up to 10 years in prison and fines between $1,370 and $13,660. Certain Class C felonies require a mandatory minimum sentence of 70% of their sentence.
• Class B Felony: A Class B felony conviction means up to 25 years in prison. Several Class B felonies also have a 50% to 70% mandatory minimum.
• Class A Felony: This is the most serious felony charge and results in up to life in prison.

In addition to serious criminal penalties, a criminal record can have a serious effect on the rest of your life. It may hurt your future in several ways, including:

• Your current job
• Your ability to get another job
• Future educational opportunities
• Potential housing arrangements

Additionally, you may find yourself facing the social effects of being convicted of a crime. Working with an attorney is the most likely way to avoid or limit the impact of a criminal conviction on your life.

O’Mara Law Office, PLLC: Your North Central Iowa Area Criminal Defense Attorneys

At O’Mara Law Office, PLLC, we have proven success in criminal cases and want to use that for your defense. We understand how overwhelming your situation can be and want to guide you through the process. Contact O’Mara Law Office, PLLC, today to see how we can protect your rights.