There is no question that just being arrested for a crime is stressful. When the charge is a felony charge, the fear can be increased by tenfold. No one wants to spend the rest of their lives in jail. When clients come to Law Office of Michael L. Fell for their free consultation, we go over their charges, the evidence against them, and other relevant information to provide our best advice on what their options are.
We also outline the average conviction rates. While it will all depend on the specifics of a particular case, the most recent statistics show that fewer than 70% of felony arrests led to conviction. This means that essentially one in three felony charges do not lead to convictions, whether due to acquittal or trail. The single best thing you can do to increase your chances of not being convicted is to work with the right criminal defense attorney.
A closer look at the statistics
The most recent year for which we have complete data is 2015. In that year, there were more than 242,000 adult felony arrests in the state of California. Just over 162,000 of those people were convicted. More than 7,500 (around 3%) of those were released by police without charges being filed. More than 38,700 (around 16%) were not prosecuted. Nearly 34,000 (around 14%) resulted in dismissals or acquittals.
Do these numbers surprise you?
It is common for a person to be surprised by these results. After all, many people assume that being arrested means that they are most likely going to be charged and then convicted of a crime. However, the statistics show a different story. Compared to the year before these statistics, felony arrests dropped by more than 70,000 and in fact the number of overall felony arrests was at its lowest point since 1985.
This is due in part to Prop 47 that turned certain crimes, such as specific types of drug possession and theft crimes, from felony charges to misdemeanors.
How to avoid convictions
As mentioned above, the single best way to avoid conviction is to work with an experienced criminal defense attorney. We can help you find the best possible outcome. This may involve working to secure a creative deal that lessens the charges and the sentence, or it may involve getting you into a diversion program.
Of course, if you are not guilty of the crime then we may also work to convince the prosecution to drop the charges by showing they do not have sufficient evidence or questioning the legality of their evidence. If necessary, we will go to trail and fight diligently to keep you free.
If you have been arrested for or accused of a criminal offense then it is time to contact a criminal defense attorney. You can reach Law Office of Michael L. Fell at (949) 585-9055 for a free legal consultation.