Imagine that you were vacationing in Moab, Utah. You are arrested for marijuana possession and intoxication. Your plane leaves the next day and you return to California. Moab police cited and released you with criminal charges and told to report to the Moab City Justice Court within 5-14 days, or risk a bench warrant issuing for your arrest.
How do you hire a good out-of-state attorney in Utah to handle your Moab misdemeanor charges? What do you look for in selecting a reputable out-of-state criminal defense attorney?
FIRST. Look at the attorney’s Google Reviews. See Utah criminal defense attorney Jake Gunter’s reviews here.
SECOND. Look at the attorney’s LinkedIn profile. If the attorney doesn’t have one, it means they are older and don’t care, or younger and really don’t realize that people are looking them up before they call. Does the attorney’s LinkedIn account reflect he regularly practices Utah criminal defense? Or does the profile reflect he or she is a general practice attorney, indicating he or she is not an expert at anything. Don’t hire a general practice attorney. Hire an attorney who specializes in criminal defense and maybe one other area. It’s like going to foot doctor for a heart surgery. No go.
THIRD. Is the Utah criminal defense attorney part of a reputable, larger large firm? Or is the attorney a solo practitioner, only working out of his or her home or a small office? Having staff and other attorneys to present ideas about your case matters. Good criminal defense attorneys are constantly in court, which is why having staff and assistants matters. See provolawyers.com where Jake Gunter is an owner / partner.
Yes. Your local California attorney, or New York attorney, can help your out-of-state attorney with your Utah charges. This generally happens with larger felonies. Your local attorney can swear into the Utah Bar Pro Hac Vice. It’s means that just for this case, your local attorney can practice law in Utah under the license of your out-of-state attorney.
First you select a qualified Utah criminal defense attorney. Your local attorney can make the call, or you can make the call. Attorney Jake Gunter does Zoom, Facetime or other video conferences with out-of-state clients. You can make a payment over the phone and the price doesn’t go up just because you are an out-of-state offender. Price is determined by what the client wants to do with the charges, the complexity of the charges, the required pretrial motion practice and whether a jury trial is sought.
No. Attorney Jake Gunter would enter his legal appearance on your behalf and tells the court that he is your attorney. Concurrently, your out-of-state attorney files a motion to excuse your absence from the court hearings. With misdemeanors, motions to excuse your presence are regularly granted. With felonies, motions to excuse you are rarely granted.
Either the case proceeds to a jury trial where you will need to eventually show up to the trial in-person, or, the entire case is resolved via the mail, with what’s called a Plea by Mail/Affidavit.
If you failed to appear at your Utah court date because you live out-of-state, a bench warrant will be issued for your arrest. As a general rule, smaller misdemeanor cases will not result in extradition from your home state back to Utah. It just means that a live warrant will be on the books in Utah. In the event you are passing through and get a speeding ticket, you will be arrested and booked into jail. See if you have a Utah Warrant here. Utah Warrant Search.
You can fix the warrant by hiring an out-of-state attorney in Utah to move the court to lift the warrant and set the matter for a pretrial hearing. Then, your attorney in Utah can concurrently move the court to excuse your presence and thereafter resolve the pending charges. This is possible with a plea by mail.
Handing Utah criminal cases state wide. Free consultation via Skype, Zoom, or other video conferences means. (801) 373-6345.
Jake Gunter commonly follows the following cities and counties.
West Valley City. Moab City, Grand County. Nephi, Juab County. Fillmore City, Millard County. Wasatch County, Heber City. Park City. Cedar Hills, Utah County. Saratoga Springs / Eagle Mountain.
