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Factors Impacting Wilton Evading Responsibility Sentencing

Hit and runs are taken seriously in Wilton. Fleeing the scene of a car accident is a legal offense and could have criminal consequences for an individual. That is why, if you have been charged with an evading responsibility offense, you should get in touch with a skilled legal advocate. Your lawyer could understand the local nuances that may surface during an evading responsibility investigation by explaining the different police departments and what each police department is looking for. An experienced evading responsibility attorney may also have knowledge of factors impacting Wilton evading responsibility sentencing and can take those factors into account when building your defense.

Impact of Previous and Pending Charges on a Case

One of the factors impacting Wilton evading responsibility sentencing is previous convictions and other pending charges. Previous criminal offenses in Wilton could influence a person’s evading responsibility case greatly. If a person has a previous conviction, they are likely not eligible for a first-time offender program, the accelerated rehabilitation program. If a person is not eligible for that program, the attorney is likely to negotiate a different disposition with the state’s attorney.

Other pending charges in Wilton also may influence a person’s criminal case, depending on the charges. There are some charges that are implicated in an evading responsibility charge, such as a DUI or any alcohol or substance-related charge because the assumption is that someone evaded responsibility because they were drunk and they did not want to get arrested for another offense. The prosecutor is likely to view the case a little bit tougher and the judge is likely to come down a little bit harder on anyone who has other pending cases.

Pretrial Rehabilitation Programs

Wilton has a pretrial rehabilitation program, which is a first-time offenders’ program in Connecticut. Anyone charged with a crime – it does not have to be evading responsibility – may apply to be admitted into this program. A person charged with a felony for evading responsibility is not eligible to use the program (depending on the class of felony). It is used with the misdemeanor for evading responsibility. The program entails completing any conditions that are ordered by the judge. One condition that is always ordered by the judge is to remain out of trouble for the duration of the program, which means the person may not get arrested. Sometimes a judge says the person may not get any infractions while they are in the program, such as a speeding ticket.

If an individual violates any of the conditions of the program, they are brought back to court and prosecuted on the underlying evading responsibility charge. If the individual successfully completes all of the conditions of the program and does not get arrested for the duration of the program, their evading responsibility case is dismissed and they do not have any criminal record. Applying for this program impacts the person’s evading responsibility case because the program suspends the prosecution of the evading responsibility charge. The case gets immediately sealed when a person applies for the program and is no longer available to the public.

Possibility of Expungement

A person’s record could be expunged for an evading responsibility conviction. The timeframe for having their record expunged varies. For a misdemeanor pardon or expungement, a person has to wait three years to apply. For a felony pardon or expungement, a person has to wait five years to apply. The process of expunging a person’s record is lengthy. A lot of information needs to be provided to the Board of Pardons. Once they submit a lengthy application, the person gets placed on a hearing list to have a hearing for their pardon. It takes many years to be assigned a hearing date because there are a lot of people applying for pardons. If an individual wants to know more about factors impacting Wilton evading responsibility sentencing, and how these factors could impact their eligibility for expungement, they should consult an experienced legal advocate that could answer their questions.