Town of Lexington Criminal Defense Attorney

Law Office of James R. Snell, Jr., LLC

Town of Lexington Municipal Court
111 Maiden Lane
Lexington, South Carolina 29072

Are you facing a criminal charge in the Town of Lexington Municipal Court? This court hears misdemeanor cases resulting from arrests by the Town of Lexington Police Department. The Town of Lexington has over 50 full time police officers, a full-time in-house prosecutor, and a full-time judge. They are extremely serious about investigations, making arrests, and prosecuting criminal activity in town limits.

Common offenses prosecuted in this court include:

• DUI
• DV 3^rd Degree
• Shoplifting
• Assault 3^rd Degree
• Disorderly Conduct
• Other misdemeanors

The initial court date given for a town charge is called a bench trial. That is a date to go in front of the town judge and face a risk of an immediate conviction and sentencing. We are hired by those who are seeking to avoid a conviction and\or reduced sentence. To accomplish that our first steps in any town case are normally as follows:

• We file paperwork with the court notifying them that we are contesting the case, and as a result the court automatically cancels the initial court date
• We file requests called discovery motions asking for copies of the evidence and reports collected by the police.
• Our clients receive copies of the documents we file with the court, and regular updates as their case progresses
• Once we obtain copies of those materials they are reviewed by the attorney, follow up investigation can be conducted by our office
• We recommend that our clients always schedule a review appointment to discuss the evidence in their case, their legal rights, and available defenses. During this appointment we can also discuss the pros and cons of any possible plea offer or reduction.
• Many charges can be dismissed and\or favorably reduced before trial. This might be putting a case into pre-trial intervention, or reducing a DUI to reckless. Charges that are not dismissed and\or reduced to our client’s satisfaction can be fully challenged in court.

DUI

There are several police officers in Lexington that make a high number of DUI arrests. We see a lot of DUI cases where police pull over people leaving restaurants and bars, especially after dark. They have a “zero tolerance” approach to DUI enforcement, meaning that if they think that they can make a case they will make the arrest. This is a very easy place to acquire a DUI charge.

We have significant experience in representing DUI clients in the Town of Lexington. Everyone, without exception, needs a lawyer when facing a DUI charge. There are steps we can take to immediately begin working on a case, including to help restore driving privileges if your license was taken by the officer or you received a notice of suspension form. While no lawyer can promise or guarantee a result, we have an extensive history of positive case results including having DUI cases dismissed or favorably reduced.

Mr. Snell is a published author on the topic of DUI Defense (SC DUI Defense, The Law and Practice), has presented on the topic of DUI law to Magistrate Judges, and has successfully argued for favorable DUI law before the South Carolina Court of Appeals. The lawyers in this office are members of the National College for DUI Defense, and have attended specific training police DUI arrest procedures, and is drug (recreational or prescription) based DUI cases.

You can begin learning more about our DUI defense practice by requesting a copy of our free report on South Carolina DUI Defense Procedures.

DV 3^rd Degree

Town Police make domestic violence arrests, frequently after responding to a 911 call of an argument between a couple. DV 3^rd degree charges remain in the municipal court. DV 3^rd charges can carry up to 90 days in jail, even for a first-time offense and in situations where there are no physical injuries.

Anyone facing a domestic violence charge should plan on fully contesting the case. A DV conviction will result in the lost 2^nd amendment rights, and the ability to successfully pass many background screenings.

We help our clients avoid a DV conviction by challenging false and unfair allegations. We also help clients that may have violated the law obtain a deserved second chance. There are a lot of ways to successfully defend a domestic violence charge, no situation is hopeless. DV charges though are not simply dismissed because the alleged victim asks to have charges dropped or decides just to not show up for the initial court date.

The town court also enforces no-contact bond restrictions. If a no-contact provision was imposed as part of your bond, then any contacting including e-mail, phone or in-person can result in being held in contempt and forced to remain in the Lexington County Detention Center. We can help seek to lift a no-contact restriction as part of the defense.

Mr. Snell is the author of the book Challenging CDV. This is the book written to help defendants and their families understand South Carolina domestic violence law, court proceedings, and defenses. You can request a free electronic copy here or stop by our office for a printed copy.

Shoplifting

Lexington Police make many shoplifting arrests per week. The standard penalty for a shoplifting conviction is a fine of up to $2,130 or up to thirty days in jail. The biggest problem with a shoplifting charge though is the criminal record. Shoplifting is considered a crime of moral turpitude, and can absolutely ruin a criminal background check or employment screening.

Most shoplifting charges are based on observations made by a store’s loss prevention personal. We regularly see shoplifting cases from merchants such as Kohl’s, Wal-Mart, and Target. We help client’s fight from getting a shoplifting charge by negotiating with the prosecutor, seeking enrollment into pre-trial intervention, or challenging false or unfair allegations in court.

If you’re facing a shoplifting charge we recommend that you start off by requesting a copy of our free report, What You Don’t Know About Shoplifting Can Ruin Your Life.

Pre-Trial Intervention

We can help request pre-trial intervention (PTI), for clients that are seeking this resolution. PTI is a special program that upon completion will result in a dismissal of the charge and the removal of the arrest record. Many Town of Lexington charges can be referred into PTI (a major exception is DUI). In addition, simple possession of marijuana charges may also be eligible for what is called a conditional discharge. This is similar in some ways to PTI, but has some important differences we make sure our clients are aware of.

First Steps

We have a lot of experience in this particular court. If you or a loved one is facing any charge here you have come to the right place for help. Your first step should be to contact our office for a free initial consultation. We are available to get started on cases right away.