Hire A Former Prosecutor in Newberry to ensure the best possible outcome for your case.
Kent Collins is a criminal defense attorney who routinely represents people facing criminal charges in Newberry, SC, and the surrounding areas.
In addition, Kent is a former prosecutor who knows the local courts, the prosecutors, attorneys, and criminal procedures, including local law enforcement and prosecution policies and procedures.
Kent has experienced the criminal process from both sides of the courtroom; he knows the dirty tricks that police and prosecutors sometimes play on people and how to challenge the state’s case both in and out of the courtroom.
Kent also knows the consequences of a criminal conviction and its impact on a person’s livelihood, employment, standing in the community, and freedom.
Depending on the facts of their case, a person who is convicted of a crime in South Carolina may be subject to:
- A prison sentence,
- Job loss,
- Inability to find meaningful employment in the future,
- Fines,
- License suspension or revocation,
- Loss of occupational licenses,
- Loss of their right to own a firearm or get a CWP (concealed weapon permit), and
- A criminal record that may follow them for the rest of their life.
As a former prosecutor, Newberry, SC, criminal defense lawyer Kent Collins knows that your prosecutor is most likely already working to convict you – gathering evidence from law enforcement agencies, interviewing witnesses and alleged victims, and preparing your case for trial.
Many prosecutors see their job as putting you in prison, and they have multiple law enforcement and investigative agencies to help them, including police departments, SLED, and the solicitor’s office.
Shouldn’t you also have a criminal defense lawyer in Newberry, SC, who has the training and experience it takes to get your case dismissed, negotiate on your behalf, or try your case to a jury?
The Criminal Process in Newberry, SC
If you’ve been arrested in Newberry, SC, you must know that the judge, prosecutor, and police officers involved in your case want you to plead guilty.
No one is there to help you, and no one will tell you all your options and the consequences of a guilty plea except your criminal defense attorney. For everyone else in the courtroom, you are most likely a number on a case file and a “common criminal” who needs to be in jail.
Depending on the charges, you may need to request a jury trial in the magistrate or municipal court, retain an investigator to gather evidence for your trial, retain experts for consultation or testimony at trial, and explore all possible alternatives to trial, including the possibility of a dismissal, plea agreement, or pretrial diversion programs.
TYPES OF CRIMINAL CASES WE ROUTINELY HANDLE
- Armed Robbery
- Arson 1st, 2nd, 3rd
- Assault and Battery 1st degree, 2nd degree and 3rd degree
- Assault upon a Correctional Employee
- Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature
- Attempted Murder
- Breach of Trust
- Breaking into a Motor Vehicle
- Burglary 1st degree, 2nd degree and 3rd degree
- Criminal Sexual Conduct
- Disorderly Conduct, Public Intoxication
- Domestic Violence (DV/CDV)
- Domestic Violence of High & Aggravated Nature (DVHAN)
- Driving Under Suspension
- Drug Offenses (All Types)
- Drug Distribution
- Drug Manufacturing
- Drug Possession With Intent to Distribute (PWID)
- Drug Trafficking
- DUI/DUAC
- Failure to Stop for a Blue Light
- Fake ID / False ID
- Felony DUI, Death; Felony DUI Great Bodily Injury
- Firearms related charges (All Types)
- Forgery, Financial Transaction Fraud, Forgery, Theft
- Grand Larceny
- Habitual Traffic Offender
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident
- Malicious Injury to Person Property / Real Property
- Manslaughter
- Murder
- Petty Larceny
- Pointing or Presenting a Firearm
- Reckless Driving
- Reckless Homicide
- Resisting Arrest
- Sexual Assault
- Shoplifting
- Simple Assault
- Strong Arm Robbery
- Threatening the Life of a Public Official or Public Employee
- Trespassing
- Unlawful Carrying of a Pistol
- Vandalism
READY TO SPEAK WITH AN ATTORNEY?
Get your case evaluated by a real attorney at no cost to you.
CLIENTS HAVE SAID
Common Questions for Criminal Defense Attorneys in Newberry
Can you get my charges dismissed?
At Kent Collins’ criminal defense law firm in Newberry, SC, we routinely get criminal charges dismissed for our clients.
That doesn’t mean your case will be dismissed, however. We cannot guarantee a result to any particular client, and the result in your case, whether it is a dismissal, plea that you agree to, or verdict after a jury trial, can vary depending on many factors including the facts of your case and the law applied to the facts of your case.
How can I avoid a criminal conviction?
You may be able to avoid a conviction through dismissal of your case before trial or completion of a pretrial diversion program.
In other cases, you must choose between accepting a plea offer from your prosecutor or taking your case to trial – in these cases, your only option for completely avoiding a conviction may be to get an acquittal at trial.
What if I just want to plead guilty?
The decision to plead guilty or to take a case to trial is always the client’s decision – the attorney can only give advice based on the evidence in the case and the solicitor’s plea offer.
You cannot make a competent decision to plead guilty, however, before your attorney has seen all the evidence in your case, identified and researched all potential legal issues in your case, and determined 1) whether your case can or should be dismissed, 2) other options including plea agreements or pretrial diversion, and 3) the likelihood that you will win your case at trial.
Can I get a criminal conviction expunged in SC?
You can get some criminal convictions expunged in SC, but only relatively minor offenses under certain conditions. These include:
- First-offense 30-day misdemeanors in magistrate or municipal court after three years, /li>
- YOA offenses after five years,
- First-offense domestic violence third-degree after five years,
- Drug possession charges after three years, and
- Possession with intent to distribute convictions after 20 years.
Experience Matters
Kent Collins is a former prosecutor who has extensive experience in criminal law as both a prosecutor and a criminal defense lawyer.
Kent’s experience and qualifications include:
- Handling thousands of criminal cases of all types from speeding tickets to murder charges,
- Years of experience defending people accused of crimes as a Newberry, SC, criminal defense lawyer in private practice,
- Experience as a prosecutor in Orangeburg and Lexington, SC,
- He is an active member of the South Carolina Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (SCACDL), and The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL).
- He regularly attends training sessions for criminal defense law and trial practice.
Accused of a Crime in Newberry, S.C.?
If you’ve been charged with a crime or if you think you may be under investigation, you should speak with a criminal defense attorney in Newberry, SC immediately.
READY TO SPEAK WITH AN ATTORNEY?
Get your case evaluated by a real attorney at no cost to you.