The legal machinery in the United States is geared toward offering those found guilty of a felony a fair chance at justice and rehabilitation.
Those who face misdemeanor charges, by contrast, often fly under the radar. Courts that hear misdemeanors are crowded, and the accused often don’t have access to a lawyer. Although everyone has the right to counsel, local institutions often fail to comply.
Family law attorney Matthew Cambo explains that a misdemeanor conviction is no small matter, so you have to get informed of the consequences. A misdemeanor conviction can hurt your chances of success in life in many ways. It’s crucial for parents to educate their kids about what can happen when they’re caught drinking or doing drugs.
Here are some of the short- and long-term consequences of a misdemeanor offense.
Short-Term Punishments
Misdemeanors are considered more minor offenses. They are non-violent and aren’t as severe as felonies.
Because of this, the punishments are significantly less than those for felonies, but they can still be significant. Misdemeanor charges are either classified as a first-degree or second-degree offense.
Punishments for first-degree charges include a period in jail of one year or less and a fine of $1,000 or less. Punishments for second-degree charges include time in jail of as many as 60 days and a fine of as much as $500.
The statute of limitations for misdemeanors in Florida is two years for first-degree offenses and one year for second-degree offenses.
Long-Term Effects
Misdemeanor charges do not carry with them any civil punishments. This is unlike felonies, which may prohibit a person from owning a gun or voting for the rest of their life.
However, there are still long-term effects of a misdemeanor conviction. First, a conviction of any kind will result in a person having a criminal record. This record will appear any time someone conducts a background check.
This could create a barrier to employment if the company you are applying to conducts mandatory and routine background checks on prospective employees.
People who have been convicted of a misdemeanor offense can have their records either sealed or expunged after a certain period of time. This would prevent anyone from seeing the record at all if a background check were to be conducted.
However, this process can be time-consuming and costly. In addition, there is a waiting period for when someone can apply to have their record sealed or expunged.
In addition, once you have been convicted of even a minor misdemeanor, your record will no longer be clean. As Matthew Cambo warns, it can be used against you in any future criminal case brought against you — no matter how minor that case is.
This is why it’s so important for parents to talk to their kids about the long-term dangers and effects of committing a misdemeanor offense.
About Matthew Cambo
Matthew Cambo is an associate attorney with Leinoff & Lemos, P.A. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America 2022 due to his exceptional focus on serving clients in family law matters. Mr. Cambo has a degree in Political Science and a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law. He is licensed to practice in Florida and is a member of the Family Law, Trial Lawyers, and Young Lawyers sections of the Florida Bar.
