You should definitely plead NOT GUILTY to your Violent Crime charge! The first court hearing is called an arraignment. If you hire our law firm, we will enter a “Not Guilty” plea for you at your arraignment and YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT HAVE TO GO TO COURT, unless it is a felony or in Springdale District Court. The purpose of an arraignment is to plead “Guilty” or “Not Guilty” to the Judge. If you were to plead “guilty,” the Judge would set your sentence on each of your charges to whatever he or she wants within the minimum and maximum sentence allowed by law. On your Violent Crime charge, the Judge can put you in jail or, if it is a felony, in prison!

Some people worry that if they plead “Not Guilty,” when they feel they are really guilty, that it could hurt them later. Please do not worry. The criminal justice system is designed for you to plead “Not Guilty.” This is the case because in America you are considered innocent until the prosecutor can prove you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. First, this allows Norwood & Norwood, if you hire us as your attorneys, to examine all of the evidence to see if the prosecutor has enough evidence to prove you guilty AND to see if the police got that evidence lawfully without making errors. In other words, we look for a way to WIN! You would be shocked at how many cases we win, even when our client is technically guilty, because the police do not do their job properly. Next, the system is designed for us to negotiate with the prosecutor to get the best possible plea bargain (sentence) for you. We have negotiated many thousands of dismissals for our clients’ charges. The prosecutor negotiates so that the state will be spared the time and expense of a trial. Our firm has defended well-over 1,000 Violent Crime cases.  The Norwood & Norwood criminal defense legal team uses that experience, and problems we find with the prosecutor’s evidence, to work toward really great outcomes for our clients.  Those may include winning your case, getting dismissal of charges, keeping you out of jail, keeping charges off of your record, keeping fines low, etc.

The consequences of conviction can be costly! You potentially face jail time, fines, court costs, and even the loss of your job. Norwood & Norwood has either won or negotiated dismissals for many thousands of charges for our clients and most of our clients NEVER GO TO JAIL.  Let us see if we can do that for you!  Your first visit with us to discuss your case is absolutely FREE, and you are under no obligation to hire us.  If you decide to hire us, we offer reasonable rates, payment plans, and accept VISA, MASTERCARD and DISCOVER. We have proven many thousands of times that,  just because you have been charged with a crime, doesn’t mean you will be convicted of that crime. If you have the opportunity to hire one of the best criminal defense law firms in Northwest Arkansas at a reasonable rate you can afford, why wouldn’t you? We fight hard for our clients and we would love to help you!

Trying to handle a Violent Crime charge without an attorney, or with an inexperienced attorney, can have devastating results. If a friend or family member has told you that your Violent Crime charge is “no big deal,” they do not fully understand the potential consequences of a Violent Crime charge. A Violent Crime charge can be either a misdemeanor or felony.  Either way, if you plead guilty to a judge, he or she can put you in jail or, if it is a felony, in prison. Every Assault or Battery conviction exposes you to jail, and if it is a felony, to prison, as well as to fines and court costs.  We have defended well-over 1,000 Violent Crime cases. Our criminal defense legal team uses that experience, and problems we find with the prosecutor’s evidence, to work toward really great outcomes for our clients. Those may include winning your case, getting dismissal of charges, keeping you out of jail, keeping charges off of your record,  keeping fines low, etc.

Depending on your charge, there may be hidden costs of a Violent Crime conviction as well:

• You may be ordered to leave your home and stay away from your family;
• You may lose your gun rights;
• You may lose your voting rights, if your charge is a felony;
• You may have trouble finding an apartment or house to rent;
• You may be fired from your current job;
• You may have trouble getting a job in the future

No lawyer can guarantee the results of a case; however, at Norwood & Norwood, we do promise that we will fight hard to:

• Find a way to win;
• Get charges dismissed or reduced;
• Keep you out of jail;
• Keep charges off your record;
• Get the Judge’s order to stay away from your family lifted;
• Keep your fines low;
• Arrange to have you pay any fines over a period of time rather than all on your final court date.

The consequences of conviction can be costly! You potentially face jail time, fines, court costs, and even the loss of your job. Norwood & Norwood has either won or negotiated dismissals for many thousands of charges for our clients and most of our clients NEVER GO TO JAIL.  Let us see if we can do that for you!  Your first visit with us to discuss your case is absolutely FREE, and you are under no obligation to hire us.  If you decide to hire us, we offer reasonable rates, payment plans, and accept VISA, MASTERCARD and DISCOVER. We have proven many thousands of times that,  just because you have been charged with a crime, doesn’t mean you will be convicted of that crime. If you have the opportunity to hire one of the best criminal defense law firms in Northwest Arkansas at a reasonable rate you can afford, why wouldn’t you? We fight hard for our clients and we would love to help you!

Many people do not hire an attorney because they think they cannot afford an attorney. At Norwood & Norwood, even though we are probably the most experienced criminal defense law firm in Northwest Arkansas, we make hiring an attorney affordable by offering a free first visit, having reasonable fees, offering payment plans, and accepting VISA, MASTERCARD and DISCOVER.

During your free first visit, we discuss your case, the charges brought against you, the potential consequences you face if you are convicted, and how we plan to help you. We also discuss our fees and payment options available to you.

The consequences of conviction can be costly! You potentially face jail time, fines, court costs, and even the loss of your job. Norwood & Norwood has either won or negotiated dismissals for many thousands of charges for our clients and most of our clients NEVER GO TO JAIL. Let us see if we can do that for you! Your first visit with us to discuss your case is absolutely FREE, and you are under no obligation to hire us. If you decide to hire us we offer reasonable rates, payment plans, and accept VISA, MASTERCARD and DISCOVER. We have proven many thousands of times that, just because you have been charged with a crime, doesn’t mean you will be convicted of that crime. If you have the opportunity to hire one of the best criminal defense law firms in Northwest Arkansas at a reasonable rate you can afford, why wouldn’t you? We fight hard for our clients and we would love to help you!

• Our firm has defended well-over 1,000 Violent Crime cases over the last 25 years. Our criminal defense legal team uses that experience, and problems we find with the prosecutor’s evidence, to work toward really great outcomes for our clients!  Those may include winning your case, getting dismissal of charges, keeping you out of jail, keeping charges off of your record, keeping fines low, etc.
• Norwood & Norwood has either won or negotiated dismissals for many thousands of charges for our clients and most of our clients NEVER GO TO JAIL. Let us see if we can do that for you! We have proven many thousands of times that, just because you have been charged with a crime, doesn’t mean you will be convicted of that crime. 
• Your first visit is absolutely FREE, and you are not obligated to hire us.
• Our firm offers reasonable fees, affordable payment options, and we accept VISA, MASTERCARD or DISCOVER.
• The lawyers of our firm include former deputy prosecutors, people who have worked on the other side, and understand the strategies and tactics the prosecutor will use to try and convict you!
• Doug Norwood, the founder of the firm and lead litigation attorney, has been nominated and voted by his peers as a “SuperLawyer” for the Mid-South Region for the last five consecutive years. In addition, on two occasions, he has been named by the Arkansas Times, as one of the “Best Criminal Law/DWI Lawyers in Arkansas.” Doug also was named the “Champion of Justice” by the Arkansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and has been the recipient of the Arkansas Bar Association’s “Lawyer Community Legacy Award.” Mr. Norwood has also received the coveted Martindale-Hubbell AV-Rating, which sets him apart as one of the Preeminent Lawyers in his field of criminal defense and DWI / DUI law. In addition, he maintains the highest ranking an attorney can achieve on www.AVVO.com, one of the leading lawyer referral sites in the country. He also was one of the founding members in establishing the Arkansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and has served as the President of that association.
• When you hire Norwood & Norwood, you hire one of the BEST CRIMINAL DEFENSE LEGAL TEAMS in all of Northwest Arkansas.

If you have the opportunity to hire one of the best criminal defense law firms in Northwest Arkansas at a reasonable rate you can afford, why wouldn’t you? We fight hard for our clients and we would love to help you!

ALL ATTORNEYS ARE NOT EQUAL. If you go see another attorney, we strongly suggest that you ask any other attorney the questions below. No two attorneys are alike and we believe that you should know the answers to these questions before you make a decision on whom to hire. For example, one reason why this could be important, is there are many attorneys that may say they handle Violent Crime charges. However, OTHER ATTORNEYS MAY HAVE NEVER TAKEN ANY VIOLENT CRIME CASE TO TRIAL, or only handled a few Violent Crime charges.  Our firm has defended well-over 1,000 Violent Crime charges. Norwood & Norwood’s Violent Crime charge experience, and the fact that our defense team has taken hundreds if not thousands of cases to trial, helps us to negotiate really great outcomes for our clients.  The prosecutors know we will make the state spend their time and money on a trial if we do not get a negotiated outcome that is favorable for our client.  It is important to know that the attorney you hire has the skill, knowledge and experience to put up the best fight to protect you from the consequences of your charges. As you can see, our answer to every question is YES.

QUESTIONS TO ASK OTHER ATTORNEYS YOU MAY CONSIDER HIRING:

1. Has your firm defended over 25,000 Criminal Cases, including over 8,000 DWI’s?
   OUR ANSWER: YES
2. Has your firm been able to have MANY THOUSANDS of their clients criminal charges either:
   • found Not Guilty, or
   • kept their client out of jail, or
   • gotten their clients’ charges dismissed, or
   • kept their clients’ charges off of their record?

   OUR ANSWER: YES

3. Does your FIRM ONLY DO Criminal Defense And Civil Rights Cases? (No divorces, bankruptcies, real estate, etc.)?
   OUR ANSWER: YES
4. Has any lawyer in your firm been voted by other lawyers to be one of the Best Criminal Defense Lawyers in Arkansas?
   OUR ANSWER: YES
5. Does your firm offer reasonable fee’s, FREE first visit, & PAYMENT PLAN options, Visa, MC, Discover?
   OUR ANSWER: YES
6. Is there more than one Former Deputy Prosecuting Attorney working in your firm?
   OUR ANSWER: YES
7. Has anyone in your firm been voted by other lawyers to be President of the Arkansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers?
   OUR ANSWER: YES
8. Have any of the lawyers in your firm taken more than 10 criminal cases to trial? More than 50? More than 500?
   OUR ANSWER: YES
9. Do the lawyers in your firm have more than 100 years of combined experience?
   OUR ANSWER: YES
10. Have any of the lawyers in your firm been included in the “SuperLawyer” list for the state of Arkansas? (“SuperLawyer” identifies the top 5% of attorneys in each state, as chosen by other attorneys & through independent research of Law & Politics.)
    OUR ANSWER: YES
11. Has your firm been hired by other attorneys and many law enforcement officers to handle their cases or family members’ cases when they get into criminal trouble?
    OUR ANSWER: YES
12. Have any of the lawyers in your firm been asked to teach other lawyers classes in criminal law defense tactics?
    OUR ANSWER: YES
13. Does your firm have one of the largest criminal law libraries in Northwest Arkansas which allows them to stay up-to-date on the latest legal theories as well as to understand the law?
    OUR ANSWER: YES
14. Does your firm have at least six attorneys who only do criminal defense and civil rights law to help defend your criminal case?
    OUR ANSWER: YES
15. Are any of the lawyers in your firm listed in the bar register of preeminent lawyers which is limited to only the most distinguished law practices in the nation?
    OUR ANSWER: YES

Benton County, AR Local and Legal Resources

• Springdale AR District Court Website
• Government of Benton County AR Website
• Johnson AR Police Department Website
• Springdale AR Courthouse -201 Spring Street, Springdale, AR 72764 – (479) 738-2747

NORWOOD AND NORWOOD, P. A. IS DEDICATED TO PROTECTING YOU!