A criminal conviction, or in some cases even just a criminal charge, can change the course of a person's life. There are serious long-term consequences associated with being accused and found guilty of a crime. People can be sent to jail or prison, fined, lose their jobs, lose their professional licenses or worse. While an aggressive criminal defense can help to mitigate the damage caused by a criminal charge, it is obviously best to avoid criminal activity in the first place.
New statistics released by the FBI show that crime rates were actually down in Oregon and around the country in 2011 -- for the fifth straight year. According to the data, nationally, property crimes were down by .5 percent. Violent crimes, on the other hand, including murder and rape, were down by 3.8 percent. However, burglaries rose by .9 percent in 2011. The data showed that the western United States made up 22.9 percent of all the violent crime in the nation.
In Oregon, the data were similar. The data showed that property crime rose by 3.4 percent in 2011. However, violent crimes fell by .6 percent. In Portland, in particular, the number of rapes, burglaries and aggravated assaults were all on the rise in 2011, whereas the number of motor vehicle thefts, murders and robberies were down.
For those who find themselves accused of a crime, it is important for them to know they have constitutional rights that need to be protected. Without the right help and criminal defense, those facing criminal charges can find themselves defeated by a very powerful criminal justice system.
Source: The Oregonian, "FBI releases 2011 crime statistics that show drop in violent crime nationally," Oct. 29, 2012
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