The law practice of Mufeed W. Said, PLLC has been built with over 15 years of experience on both sides of the courtroom. Four years of experience working as an attorney for the Commonwealth’s Attorney of Richmond, VA gives Mr. Said a unique and more effective command of the law. Below you will find a listing of just a few of the areas in which we focus our practice
Criminal Law
Felonies
Criminal offenses charged as felonies in Virginia range from Class 6 to Class 1, and the punishment breaks down as follows:
Class 6:
1-5 years in the penitentiary; can also be treated like a Class 1 misdemeanor
Class 5:
1-10 years in the penitentiary; can also be treated like a Class 1 misdemeanor
Class 4:
2-10 years in the penitentiary and up to a $100,000 fine
Class 3:
5-20 years in the penitentiary and up to a $100,000 fine
Class 2:
20-Life in the penitentiary and up to $100,000 fine
Class 1:
Life in the penitentiary or the Death penalty
Certain felonies are listed as Unclassified and have penalties that do not fit into any of the above mentioned classes. When you are charged with a felony, you face severe consequenses that reach much farther than the possibility of penitentiary time. Many employers conduct back-ground checks and will not hire convicted felons. Convicted felons lose the right to vote and the right to carry a firearm.
Having a defense attorney who can anticipate how your case will be prosecuted is crucial. As a former Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond, Mufeed W. Said has years of valuable experience that is essential to your best defense.
Misdemeanors
Misdemeanors are also broken down into classes and range from Class 4 to Class 1, and the punishment is as follows:
Class 4:
up to a $250 fine
Class 3:
up to a $500 fine
Class 2:
up to 6 months in jail OR up to a $1,000 fine OR Both
Class 1:
up to 12 months in jail OR up to a $2,500 fine OR Both
Although the punishment for a misdemeanor is not as severe as a felony, misdemeanor convictions can have harsh repurcutions. Certain misdemeanors will damage your credibility if you ever testify in court and can subject you to embarrassing questions.
Misdemeanors are tried in the General District Courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and you have an absolute right to appeal any misdemeanor conviction within 10 days of your conviction. You also have the right to a trial by jury in Circuit Court if you have appealed a misdemeanor conviction within 10 days of your conviction.
Traffic
Traffic court can be a daunting experience for many people. Violations such as speeding tickets, following too closely, improper lane changes and disregarding traffic signals can adversely affect your driving record. Although simple traffic tickets do not involve jail time, their implications can be very damaging. A driver’s point balance is a focus for many judges in assessing fines and an appropriate disposition in a case. Accumulating traffic tickets will give you a negative point balance and can result in an unwanted outcome in traffic court.
If you have been involved in a traffic accident and charged with a traffic infraction, often times the opposing party’s insurance company will have a court reporter present to transcribe the proceedings. Everything you say will be recorded for future use against you in the personal injury lawsuit.
You need a lawyer with you in court to protect your interests in what may seem to be even the most minor traffic ticket.
Driving
The traffic section above has been separated from driving offenses in order to distinguish the more serious offenses labeled as driving offenses. These include more serious cases such as DUI, second or subsequent driving on a suspended license, driving as a habitual offender, and reckless driving. These are all Class 1 misdemeanors and cases which could carry substantial jail time; depending on the exact circumstances, these cases can carry mandatory jail time which cannot be suspended by the judge or jury. Your license can also be suspended as part of the punishment in these types of cases. Substantial fines and costs are also associated with these cases, as well as the new civil remedial fees (see discussion in headlines section) which are being imposed by judge throughout the Commonwealth.
Expungements
Virginia law allows for charges which have been dismissed or nolle prossed to be expunged or cleared, from your record.
When a criminal record is run by law-enforcement, it shows any and all charges a person has ever had, even if you were not convicted. In other words, there are two types of records: an arrest record and a conviction record, and they both appear when a person’s name is run.
You have the right to petition the Circuit Court in which you were charged to have your arrest record cleared. Depending on the circumstances, you may be automatically entitled to have a charge expunged from your record.