Consequences of Getting a Criminal Conviction in ArizonaIf you experience a conviction in Arizona, the collateral damage can be immense. And the damage is not always obvious at first. Your livelihood and right to live in the U.S. can be jeopardized. Therefore, it is important to understand these specific ways that your life can be negatively affected to prevent or defend against them.
If you are convicted, your parental rights could be terminated, according to Arizona State Law. If you are incarcerated, it can be used against you to show “abandonment” of your child and make a case for you to lose your custody. Even if you do not lose your parental rights, your conviction can have a negative impact on the stress levels of your spouse and children, as well as yourself.
The laws of Arizona allow your future earnings to be endangered in a number of ways. For example, if you are looking to continue your education to obtain higher pay, you might lose options for federal aid, scholarship, and grants. And when you are searching for a job, employers may not agree to hire you based on your criminal record. Furthermore, if you are an entrepreneur, your business could suffer because you might lose your professional license, or special license, like the right to sell alcohol.
There can be collateral damage in the form of benefits from the government being eliminated, which could cause you hardship. For example, you may lose public assistance for housing, food stamps, student loans, or welfare. This could put you and your family in a very difficult situation.
Achieving and maintaining residency or citizenship in the United States is a large step for many immigrants. However, if you are convicted of a crime in Arizona, your ability to stay in the U.S. may be terminated. This could result in you being deported, un-naturalized, or denied admission.
Many of the things you enjoy doing freely could be taken away from you. You may lose your right to vote or to serve on a jury, restricting your ability to operate in public affairs. If you are in the military or planning to enroll, this can also be eliminated. And your driver’s license could be revoked. If you enjoy the occasional alcoholic beverage, you might even lose your freedom to drink at certain times or in certain amounts.
Being convicted of any crime is a harrowing experience. It can cause you to feel negative emotions about yourself. But even more so, others may lose their good view of you and your reputation can suffer drastically. This is especially true if you are forced to register as a sex offender, for example.
The after-effects of being convicted in Arizona are drastic. From losing custody of your child, to damaging your career, to losing your basic rights and privileges, your life can suffer if you don’t get help. It’s important to understand the collateral damage resulting from a conviction before you accept a guilty plea. Don’t accept a plea without speaking to a lawyer. Give me a call at 602.899.0590 or email me.
