A felony conviction on your criminal record will change your life forever. Being a convicted felon deprives you of many opportunities.
Your felony conviction may make it harder or impossible to obtain decent employment, enroll in school or obtain housing. You could also be forbidden from voting or possessing a firearm.
Plea bargaining
Additionally, your professional and personal reputation might suffer when people find out you are a convicted felon.
You should vigorously defend yourself against any criminal charge. Sometimes this defense means negotiating with the prosecutor for a better deal if it appears your chances of a dismissal of the charge are low.
These negotiations can involve arguing that a felony charge be reduced to a misdemeanor. This is typically known as plea bargaining. Since felony convictions come with higher penalties and the potential consequences referenced above, having a felony reduced to a misdemeanor can be the best possible outcome.
Other options for felony reduction
There are some other potential ways to reduce a felony to a misdemeanor. Depending on your case, you may be eligible for diversion programs. Drunk driving and drug possession are common examples of charges that could be eligible for diversion programs.
If you receive probation, negotiating an outcome where the felony is reduced to a misdemeanor is another option. You must successfully complete all probation requirements before your felony is reduced.
The specific crime may be a factor in getting a felony reduced. Some crimes can be charged as felonies or misdemeanors depending on the circumstances. The prosecutor chooses whether to file a felony or misdemeanor and you can argue that there is not enough evidence to charge a felony.
Reducing a felony to a misdemeanor requires pleading guilty to the misdemeanor. Before you choose to plead guilty, be sure that the negotiations were fair and you have a complete understanding of your rights and the consequences of pleading guilty.