Stafford County Conspiracy Penalties 

If a person is charged with conspiracy, it can be more serious than most people understand. Stafford County conspiracy penalties can be severe. Even if a person did not participate in the actual criminal act itself, even if they were not an accessory or closer to the crime than that, it is still true that they can be charged with anything that any of the co-conspirators did. For example, if someone is charged with a conspiracy to commit murder and in some way agreed with another person to help them commit that even if they come nowhere near the actual crime itself, they can be charged with that murder just some the same way as the person who accomplished it was. Contact a skilled attorney to learn more about penalties of conspiracy.

Prosecuting Conspiracy Cases

Stafford County prosecutors treat conspiracy cases seriously. When someone is charged with conspiracy, it is because prosecutors or law enforcement believed that they were related in some way to a criminal event or criminal enterprise but did not themselves carries out the act. If a person has been charged with conspiracy, that means that there is a concerted effort to reach that person notwithstanding that they may not be directly related to the offense. Anytime conspiracy is charged, a person can expect prosecutors that will pursue it aggressively and attempt to obtain a conviction.

Penalties for Conspiracy in Stafford County

Conspiracy is, in most cases, a felony, a person is looking at the penalties that come along with felony conviction which can include time in prison or in jail, and can also include all of the disabilities that a person suffers when they become a felon such as the loss of civil rights, the loss of the right to possess or own a firearm as well as other practical problems such as being able to continue to work or find work in the future.

Underlying Offenses

The more serious a crime that someone is charged with conspiracy to commit, the more serious the penalties will be for conspiracy in Stafford County. For example, conspiracy to commit misdemeanor larceny is a much less serious crime than a conspiracy to commit murder. The underlying offense is very important in how the penalties will accrue for conspiracy.

Aggravated Factors

One aggravating factor depends on whether anyone was physically harmed. If it is a conspiracy for a financial crime, the amount of money which was lost or that was attempted to be taken can aggravate the penalties for conspiracy in Stafford County. In addition to that, any criminal history that the accused has will also be an aggravating factor.

Stafford County Sentencing System

Sentencing in Stafford County depends on whether there was a jury trial, whether there was a bench trial, or whether a person pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement or on their own. If a person is tried by a jury, they will also be sentenced by that jury. If, on the other hand, the person pleads guilty as part of a plea agreement or simply decides to plead guilty or they are found guilty, at the end of a bench trial then a judge will sentence them. For more information on penalties in Stafford County for conspiracy, contact a qualified attorney.