In a recent interview with Ellen DeGeneres, superstar Taylor Swift revealed one of her deepest fears- She’s afraid of being arrested for a crime she didn’t commit. She worries what impact erroneous criminal charges or jail time might have on her career and reputation. Swift’s fear, although seemingly irrational, may not be that far-fetched.
In a true-to-life nightmare, Jose Gabriel Hernandez was arrested at his dinner table in October 2012 for sexually assaulting two young girls. As it turns out, it was a case of mistaken identity, and in court documents, the prosecutor’s office acknowledged that the “wrong Jose Hernandez” had been arrested. Subsequently, the charges were dropped, but that wasn’t the end of the nightmare.
Once the case was dismissed, Mr. Hernandez presumed the authorities would set the record straight. Instead, he learned that the burden was on him to clear his record and that it would require a lawyer to seek a formal expungement.
Mr. Hernandez, who works as a contractor, has not yet been able to successfully procure the expungement. He now carries a laminated legal document from the Bexar County Sheriff’s office confirming his innocence in the event he is arrested in the future. Mr. Hernandez was held in the Bexar County jail on $150,000 bond. He didn’t have the cash, so his wife borrowed money to pay a bail bondsman the nonrefundable sum of $22,500, or the 15% fee, he needed to put up. They are still repaying the loans.
A recent report from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers cites the “growing obsession with background checking and commercial exploitation of arrest and conviction records” as the reason for so many with criminal records having difficulty leaving the past behind them and moving forward with their lives.
How a Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Help
If you have been arrested or charged with a crime, you need the prompt assistance of a criminal defense lawyer. An experienced criminal defense lawyer will be able to explain your rights in all stages of the criminal process and help make the difference between a reduced plea bargain or dismissal and a jail sentence.
Being charged with a crime, no matter how minor, is a serious matter. A person facing criminal charges risks grave penalties and consequences including jail time, having a criminal record, and estrangement from family and friends, and loss of future job prospects, among other things.
Contact Our Boulder Criminal Defense Lawyers
If you have been arrested for a crime in Boulder, you need an experienced Boulder criminal defense lawyer on your side. Even an arrest can ruin your life without proper legal representation. Contact the Boulder criminal defense lawyers at Steven Louth Law Offices today for a free consultation and review of your case. Call us at (303) 422-2297 to start building a solid defense against these serious criminal charges.