Florissant Felony Lawyer

Missouri Felony Classes and Sentencing

Missouri sorts felonies into five classes, from Class A at the most serious to Class E at the least. The class sets the authorized prison range and how much of a sentence must be served before parole eligibility (§558.011).

A felony can also carry a fine of up to $10,000, and for a Class D or Class E felony a court has discretion to order up to a year in county jail rather than a prison term, with probation possible in many cases. Certain offenses are designated dangerous felonies (§556.061), and those require serving at least 85 percent of a sentence before parole eligibility (§558.019), which overrides the standard percentage for the class.

Types of Felony Charges We Defend

Felonies run across nearly every area of criminal law, and we defend them throughout. Our work includes serious violent crimes such as assault and robbery, felony drug charges including distribution and trafficking, weapons charges like unlawful use of a weapon and Armed Criminal Action, sex offenses, felony theft and property crimes, felony domestic assault, and repeat or injury-related DWI.

The class assigned to a charge reflects its seriousness: second-degree murder and first-degree robbery are Class A felonies, first-degree assault and first-degree burglary are Class B, many drug and property offenses fall into Class C or D, and the lowest felonies, such as third-degree assault, are Class E.

Prior and Persistent Offender Sentencing in Missouri

A person’s record can raise the sentence a felony carries. Under Missouri’s enhancement law (§558.016), a prior offender, defined as someone with one previous felony conviction, may be sentenced within the range of the next higher class, and a persistent offender, with two or more previous felony convictions, must be. A dangerous offender designation can raise the exposure further still. Because a single prior conviction can move a case up an entire class, and because those findings depend on convictions the state must prove, a person’s history is a central part of how we evaluate and defend a felony, and it is one more area where the record can be examined and, at times, challenged.

The Felony Court Process in St. Louis County

A Florissant felony does not stay in municipal court. It is prosecuted by the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney and heard in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County in Clayton, the 21st Judicial Circuit.

The case moves through several stages: an arrest and the filing of a complaint, a first appearance and bond, a preliminary hearing where the state must show probable cause, the filing of a formal information or a grand jury indictment, an arraignment, and a pretrial period of discovery and motions before any plea or trial. Each stage is an opportunity, because bond can be revisited, evidence can be suppressed, and a felony can sometimes be reduced or dismissed well before trial. For details on the local courts and the county jail, see our Florissant criminal defense overview.

Felony Bond and Pretrial Release

Because felonies carry the highest penalties, they also tend to carry the highest bonds, and the amount is often set early, before a person has a lawyer. Counsel can argue for a reduction or for release on conditions, drawing on a person’s ties to the community, their employment, and the specifics of the charge. Release matters beyond comfort: a person who is out of custody can keep a job, meet with a lawyer, and help build a defense, while someone held before trial faces real pressure to resolve a case quickly just to get home. We treat the bond stage as part of the defense, not a formality to move past.

When a Felony Can Be Reduced

One of the most valuable things a defense can do is keep a felony from staying a felony. Some charges sit close to the line between a felony and a misdemeanor, where the value of property, the level of injury, or the amount of a substance decides the class, and challenging those facts can bring a charge down. In other cases, weaknesses in the evidence, a first-time record, or a resolution reached before trial can lead a prosecutor to amend a felony to a misdemeanor or to a lesser felony. Because a felony conviction carries lifelong weight that a misdemeanor does not, moving a case down even one step can change a client’s future entirely, and we look for that opportunity from the first review of the file, not only on the eve of trial.

What a Felony Conviction Costs in Missouri

A felony conviction reaches far beyond a sentence. It removes the right to possess a firearm (§571.070), can suspend voting rights during incarceration, and can close off jobs, housing, professional licenses, and educational opportunities. For non-citizens, a felony can carry immigration consequences. Many of these effects are permanent, because expungement under Missouri law (§610.140) reaches some offenses but excludes many of the most serious felonies. Keeping a felony off a record, or reducing it before conviction, is often the most important outcome a defense can achieve.

How We Defend Felony Charges in Florissant

A felony defense starts with the evidence and how it was gathered. We examine the stop, the search, and the arrest, because evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment can be suppressed, and a case can weaken or collapse without it. We hold the state to every element it must prove and to the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and we use the preliminary hearing and pretrial motions to test the case early. Where the facts support it, we pursue reduced charges or a dismissal, and when a case should be tried, it is ready for a jury. We prepare every case as if it is going to trial and obtain all discovery, especially video, on every case, because thorough preparation is what protects a client whether a case is negotiated or tried.

Why Choose Our Florissant Felony Attorneys

• Criminal defense and DWI are all we do, so we handle serious felonies constantly, not occasionally.
• Our founding attorney brings more than 25 years of experience in the St. Louis County courts.
• We prepare every case for trial, which strengthens our position at the negotiating table and in the courtroom alike.
• We handle most cases on a flat fee, with flexible payment plans.

Whether a client was wrongly accused or made a mistake, we work to protect their freedom, their record, and their future.

Flat-Fee Felony Defense in Florissant

We handle most felony cases on a flat fee set at the start, so the cost is clear from the beginning, with flexible payment plans to keep a serious defense within reach. Our consultations are free and confidential, and we are available around the clock from our Sunset Hills office, in person, by video, or at the jail when needed. For the full range of charges we handle, see our Florissant criminal defense lawyer page.

Free consultations are available 24/7. Call or text any time.

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References

• §558.011, RSMo [Authorized terms of imprisonment and parole eligibility]
• §558.016, RSMo [Prior, persistent, and dangerous offender enhancements]
• §558.019, RSMo [Minimum prison term; dangerous felony 85 percent rule]
• §556.061, RSMo [Dangerous felony definition]
• §571.070, RSMo [Unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a felony]
• §610.140, RSMo [Expungement of criminal records]