Salt Lake City Criminal Defense Attorney

Former Judge Pro Team Advocating for Your Best Interests. Free Phone Consultation!

If you’ve been charged with a crime, I understand how scary and confusing this time in your life may be. Unfortunately, most people do not properly understand their rights, which can ultimately cost them their freedom. Law enforcement officials are only concerned about gathering evidence and building their case against you, making it crucial to seek representation from me, an experienced and knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer, to fight for your freedom.

For more than 20 years, I have successfully represented countless people accused of crimes and obtained a proven track record for protecting clients’ best interests. As a Salt Lake City criminal defense attorney, I understand that simply getting charged with a crime can seem like the whole world is against you because an accusation can cost you your job or your ability to purchase a home. Thus, retaining the right legal professional can make a tremendous difference.

Don’t Leave Your Fate to Chance: Contact a Salt Lake City Criminal Defense Attorney

If you’ve been accused with a crime in Salt Lake City or surrounding areas, a dedicated criminal defense attorney in Salt Lake City from Catherine Cleveland, Attorney At Law, is eager to fight for you. Arrange your free phone consultation with me online or by calling (801) 448-0683 so we can get started! 30-minute video consultations are offered by appointment only.

Common Charges Our Salt Lake City Criminal Lawyer Can Help You Defend Against

An experienced Salt Lake City criminal defense attorney from Catherine Cleveland, Attorney At Law, understands how difficult it can be to face criminal charges on your own. A compassionate criminal defense attorney from our firm can make a sizable difference in your case, working to build a strong defense strategy that fits your case details and defends your rights fiercely throughout the process.

Our legal team can defend clients against a plethora of criminal defense charges, ranging from misdemeanors to felony charges. We implement specific strategies based on the type of crime and the details of your case.

Driving Under the Influence Crimes

Driving under the influence or DUI charges are commonly seen in Salt Lake City and surrounding areas. A first-time DUI offense alone can carry severe penalties, such as license suspension, fines, and potentially time in jail. Cases that involve drivers with higher amounts of blood alcohol concentration, repeat offenses, and other aggravating factors can escalate a charge to a felony.

A dedicated lawyer from our team can look into your search and seizure and arrest process and determine whether the police officer who arrested you adequately followed protocol. If your rights were violated, we can fight to get the evidence deemed as inadmissible. We can also work to question the accuracy of breath tests used as evidence against you, arguing that they were calibrated or administered improperly.

If there is strong evidence against you, we can work hard to negotiate a plea bargain that helps you get reduced charges or minimized penalties. Ultimately, we can fight tirelessly to protect your rights as a driver and get you back on the road so that life can return to normal.

Violent Crimes

In the criminal justice system, violent crime charges are some of the most serious. They can come with severe penalties in addition to long-lasting professional and personal challenges. Violent crimes in Utah involve various offenses, ranging from homicide and kidnapping to assault and robbery. Individuals who are convicted of violent offenses can face serious criminal penalties, including fines and prison sentences.

An experienced lawyer from our firm can help you develop a robust criminal defense strategy to fight back against your charges of assault or violent crimes. If the evidence exists, a common defense tactic leveraged includes claiming that a physical act of violence was carried out in defense of yourself or others, arguing that an imminent threat was present.

If appropriate, our legal team can also call into question the validity of witness statements by challenging their integrity and identifying inconsistencies in the case through cross-examination. In assault cases, we may negotiate a plea on your behalf to potentially lessen your sentencing, depending on the details of your case. However, we won’t back down from fighting for you in court.

Drug Crimes

Drug crimes in Utah can range from minor possession offenses to more serious crimes, such as drug manufacturing or trafficking. The penalties for drug crimes typically vary depending on different factors, including the amount and type of substance involved and whether the defendant has a criminal history. Unfortunately, even crimes like simple possession can result in substantial fines, jail time, and negative repercussions.

The criminal defense legal team at Catherine Cleveland, Attorney At Law, has years of experience helping clients defend against drug crime charges. We can look into the details of your arrest and search and seizure procedures to make sure all evidence was obtained lawfully and that law enforcement followed necessary protocols. If your rights were breached during these processes, we can work to get the associated evidence suppressed.

Additionally, a Salt Lake City criminal lawyer from our team can analyze the prosecution’s argument, along with evidence presented, and call into question elements such as possession and intent. We can make legal arguments that seek to undermine the prosecution’s case, proving that the evidence available is not sufficient to lead to a conviction. If the evidence is stacked against you, we can advocate on your behalf for alternative sentencing, such as drug diversion programs.

Theft and Property Crimes

Common property crimes in Utah involve vandalism, shoplifting, embezzlement, burglary, and theft. Penalties for property and theft crimes depend on various factors associated with the case, including how much the stolen property was worth and whether there were aggravating elements, such as brandishing of a deadly weapon.

A common defense strategy in property and theft crimes involves showing that the intent was not to commit a crime. Since intent must be proven to lead to conviction for theft crimes, an experienced lawyer from our firm can present adequate evidence and legal arguments to prove that the defendant did not have the intent to deprive the property owner of their property.

In some theft and property crimes, a restitution agreement can be reached with the owner. If this is relevant to your case, an experienced attorney from our firm can help you reach a restitution agreement to negotiate reduced penalties or charges.

White-Collar Crimes

White-collar crimes are generally characterized as crimes that involve large amounts of money. These crimes can include embezzlement, fraud, and insider trading. They are particularly complex and involve the use of deceit or fraud to achieve financial gains at the expense of vulnerable parties. To convict an individual of a white-collar crime, extensive records and documents are typically needed as evidence.

If you’ve been accused of a white-collar crime, an experienced Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyer from Catherine Cleveland, Attorney At Law, can work with various professionals, including financial professionals, to review the evidence against you. We can work to show that the evidence was misinterpreted by the prosecution or that intent cannot be proven using presented evidence. Lack of intent can also be argued as a criminal defense strategy.

Sex Crimes

Sex crimes are very sensitive, and they come with not only criminal penalties but also taboo and social isolation. Examples of sex crimes in Utah include sexual assault, child pornography crimes, indecent exposure, and statutory rape. As sex crimes come with serious legal and social consequences, it is crucial to work with an experienced Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyer who can protect you.

Our criminal defense attorney in Salt Lake City can work to question the accuracy, validity, and sufficiency of the evidence presented and work to defend against any instances of false allegations. As sex crimes cases are very sensitive, trials can commonly be biased and subject to public opinion. Therefore, a lawyer from our firm can work to ensure that your right to a fair and just trial is protected.

Juvenile Crimes

In the state of Utah, cases involving minors are handled through a different system then adult crimes are. While the adult system focuses more on punishing crimes, the juvenile system emphasizes the opportunity for second chances and rehabilitation. In some juvenile cases, in which the charges are particularly severe, the resulting criminal penalties can be significant, with young people even being tried in adult court.

An experienced Salt Lake City criminal lawyer from Catherine Cleveland, Attorney At Law, can fight on behalf of you or your loved one to secure legal outcomes that place emphasis on rehabilitating measures, such as community service or counseling, in order to protect the future of the young defendant. If the case is more severe, our firm can fight to keep the case in juvenile court, working to ensure the child is not tried as an adult.

If the young person is convicted of a crime, we can help you navigate the complex expungement process, working to get these offenses off of the child’s criminal record. A criminal record can have serious negative consequences on the long-term educational and professional opportunities that a child may have in their life, so it is crucial to work with a lawyer who can expunge these offenses.

Federal Crimes

Federal crimes are more heavily persecuted and penalized than state crimes. Therefore, if you are facing federal charges, it is crucial to get in touch with an experienced criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible so they can work to protect your rights and assist you with building a criminal defense strategy.

Federal crimes that are commonly seen include tax evasion, mail fraud, and drug trafficking, which are prosecuted by federal agencies such as the DEA or FBI. Depending on the case, you could reach a plea deal with federal prosecutors that significantly reduces your charges or even leads to a case dismissal.

We can immediately call into question any evidence brought forward by federal agencies, determining whether your rights were violated during collection of the evidence or your arrest. If our firm finds that a violation of your rights took place, we can work to get the evidence against you suppressed, possibly leading to a case dismissal.

As federal crimes are tried through a completely different process than those that are charged at the state level, it’s important to work with criminal defense lawyers who have extensive experience representing clients who have been charged with federal crimes. At Catherine Cleveland, Attorney At Law, our Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyer can leverage her knowledge and experience in federal law to help you build a robust defense strategy.

What Is a Defense Attorney?

A criminal defense attorney defends a person who is charged with a crime. Not only do they speak on behalf of their client, but they fulfill other roles throughout the criminal case such as investigating and analyzing evidence.

What Do Criminal Defense Lawyers Do?

At Catherine Cleveland, Attorney At Law, our Salt Lake City criminal defense attorneys have decades of experience handling complex criminal cases at the state and federal levels. If you were accused of a crime, we are more than prepared to fight on your behalf and ensure that your rights are protected.

Analyze Your Case During a Free Initial Consultation

If you were charged with a crime in Utah, contact Catherine Cleveland, Attorney At Law, at (801) 448-0683. Our firm offers a free initial phone consultation. Be sure to be prepared because the time can go by very quickly. During the consultation, give us details about your charge and its circumstances.

Our criminal defense lawyers will also be sure to ask you as many questions as we can so we can get a better sense of the situation and identify if you have a case, its strengths, weaknesses, and what your possible defenses are.

Our Criminal Defense Attorneys Conduct Investigations

To create a solid defense on your behalf, it will take more than a consultation. At Catherine Cleveland, Attorney At Law, our Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyer will complete a thorough investigation to see if there are ways to further strengthen your case and if there is a possibility that you may be acquitted of the charges.

There are many things that could have gone wrong during the initial investigation. We can take a detailed look at the investigation process (if it was conducted properly), speak to the police to ensure that procedures were correctly followed, and speak with witnesses and experts, and more.

We Carefully Analyze the Evidence

Don’t wait until the last minute to seek out a criminal defense attorney in your area. The sooner you choose to work with one, the more time there will be to analyze your evidence. Depending on the case, there may be a lot of evidence to go through.

To ensure that our Salt Lake City criminal defense attorney has time to carefully study the facts of your case thoroughly, contact us as soon as possible. By doing so, we will have a better chance to build a solid argument in your favor.

What Does a Defense Attorney Do in Court?

Aside from providing an informative consultation, investigating your case, analyzing your evidence, and keeping in communication with you, a skilled criminal defense lawyer in Salt Lake City can provide insight on how the case is going and what the most likely outcome will be.

Criminal defense attorneys also:

• Help with the jury selection process.
• Explain complex topics in a simple way for the jury to understand
• Dynamic, trustworthy speakers who know how to examine and cross-examine witnesses in a way that will favor you
• Negotiate a plea bargain or a favorable deal that will reduce your charges or your punishment.

Online Research Won’t Replace a Criminal Defense Lawyer

Even if you are innocent or if your case seems simple, don’t go to court without a seasoned Salt Lake City criminal attorney by your side. Going to court is more than knowing which laws are in your favor. Going to court means you must know how to make a convincing argument to a jury. It is also likely that you will be going against another attorney — can you make your argument more compelling than theirs?

As the legal representation that you choose to take on your criminal defense case can strongly influence the potential outcomes, it’s important to choose a Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyer who can fully deliver. A defense attorney from Catherine Cleveland, Attorney At Law, can offer the following:

• Deep knowledge of the law. By deeply understanding the complex and ever evolving rules and regulations on the local, state, and federal level, a lawyer from our firm can help contextualize your case into the legal system, providing you with an understanding of your rights and upcoming legal processes. They can leverage their understanding of criminal law to craft robust defense strategies that protect your rights and interests.
• Trial and hearing experience. The legal team at Catherine Cleveland, Attorney At Law, has extensive experience navigating the local court systems in Salt Lake City and surrounding areas, representing clients in hearings, arrangements, and trials. By understanding local processes and having connections with stakeholders like prosecutors, a lawyer from our team can give you a leg up during trial and negotiations.
• Optimal defense tactics. Our experienced criminal defense lawyer in Salt Lake City has a deep understanding of how to build up robust, tailored criminal defense strategies for each type of case. We can place the focus on getting your charges minimized or dropped, penalties reduced, or records expunged.
• Empathetic legal representation. As traversing the criminal defense legal system can be highly overwhelming, especially on top of the emotional strain of being charged with a crime, it is important to work with an empathetic team who can lend an ear during this challenging time. Our Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyer can provide you with the emotional support you need to successfully get through negotiations and trial.

At Catherine Cleveland, Attorney At Law, our Salt Lake criminal lawyer has more than 20 years of experience and is more than prepared to take on your case and help you win. If you were arrested in Utah, we are here to provide the fierce advocacy that you need to win. Reach out to us today to make an appointment.

Fight Back Against Your Charges With a Skilled Salt Lake City Criminal Lawyer Today

Whether you are facing charges for a minor misdemeanor, such as possession of small amounts of marijuana, or have been charged for a more severe crime, such as murder, the dedicated and experienced legal team at Catherine Cleveland, Attorney At Law, is here to champion your case.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Request a free initial phone consultation with a seasoned criminal defense attorney in Salt Lake City at Catherine Cleveland, Attorney At Law. Call (801) 448-0683 to get started. With our legal team on your side, you can trust that you are getting the quality legal representation that you rightfully deserve. We are ready to explore every legal avenue available to you.