When a person is charged with a crime, other people may be quick to judge the accused. The media, neighbors, friends, employers and other members of the community might condemn a person as guilty before criminal proceedings have even taken place. Portland residents should understand, however, that just because a person has been charged with a crime, that does not mean those charges won't eventually be dropped.
What is criminal trespassing in Oregon?
Not all criminal charges are the result of a physical altercation or from the possession of contraband. Sometimes, criminal charges are the result of a person's interaction with the property of another. For example, there may be times when you are on property that you do not own. Sometime this can be intentional and, sometimes, this happens by mistake. Oregon residents might wonder: when do criminal trespassing charges apply?
In Oregon cigarette butts can lead to misdemeanor charges
In a large city like Portland, people are likely to see cigarette butts all the time on the sidewalks and roadways. Smokers may not think twice about disposing of their cigarettes outside. In fact, most people have probably seen other people thrown their cigarettes out of the window of a car. However, what people may not know is that doing this breaks Oregon state law.
Baseball player faces misdemeanor charges for break-in
Misdemeanor crimes are one broad type of criminal charge -- the other type is felony crimes. Misdemeanors are generally less serious than felonies but can still result in serious criminal punishments. Misdemeanor crimes include some theft charges, many driving offenses and traffic citations and low-level drug charges. Since punishments are not as severe as felonies, some people may think that misdemeanors do not require a significant criminal defense. However, if people ignore their defense, they can still end up with significant criminal punishments if found guilty of misdemeanors.
Man faces six misdemeanors after standoff with police
It is often understandable that police need to be able to carry out their work without fearing for their personal safety. Therefore, if police feel that their safety is in jeopardy, they can take extreme measures, including the use of force. Once the situation is under control, anyone threatening the police can face criminal charges.
Charges dropped against Oregon man
Oregon police are not perfect - neither are Oregon's prosecutors. Police and prosecutors are just human and make mistakes like everyone else. In some cases, they charge people with crimes when those people are innocent. In these situations, the Oregon criminal justice system gives people the chance to defend against the charges to show that they should not be found guilty. With the right defense strategy, prosecutors may even decide to drop charges.
Oregon man arrested for nearly hitting police officers with car
People do not often think about traffic violations as crimes. Most of the time traffic citations are merely violations that result in a small fine or other minimal penalty. However, traffic violations can lead to misdemeanor charges in certain situations. When people are charged with a misdemeanor they can face much more serious penalties. In Oregon, misdemeanors can result in fines of up to $6,250 and up to a year in jail. These penalties can have a serious effect on a person's immediate and long-term futures.
Use of exploding target can lead to misdemeanor charge in Oregon
People don't always understand or keep up with all the changes in the state and federal laws in Oregon. Often, people aren't even aware that the laws are changing. Despite the fact that people do not know the laws have changed, they can be charged with and punished for breaking new laws.
Possible new source of evidence in Oregon misdemeanor cases
In any criminal case, the police and prosecutors must gather evidence against the accused to be used in court. This evidence is used to prove that people committed the crimes that they are accused of. This evidence can come from a variety of sources and in many different forms. For some misdemeanor charges, Oregon police and prosecutors now have a new source of evidence -- red light cameras.
Man with lengthy criminal record charged with misdemeanors
Misdemeanor charges can result in a jail sentence of up to one year and thousands of dollars in fines. While this is significantly less time than a felony charge, misdemeanors should still be taken very seriously in Oregon. These charges are still added to a person's criminal record. Therefore, over time, if more misdemeanor charges accrue, punishments can increase and mean serious time behind bars.
