Northwest Arkansas Felony Attorneys

Experienced & High-Quality Legal Defense in Benton County and Washington County and All of NWA

If you have been charged with a felony, you may be worried because you might not know what to do. Additionally, you may be facing up to six years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines, even on the least serious felony charge. We assure you; our Northwest Arkansas felony attorneys know what to do. Over 35,000 people charged with crimes have trusted us to fight for them, including thousands of people with felony charges.

Attorney Doug Norwood has served as a former prosecutor and has been practicing criminal defense for over 30 years. He leads a team of attorneys with almost 100 years of combined experience, including experience as former prosecutors. All of this gives us the knowledge to work toward the best outcome possible.

Trust our Northwest Arkansas felony lawyers to fight for you. We are committed to delivering high-quality service, which is why we have hundreds of 5-star reviews, and the people of Northwest Arkansas have voted us Best of NWA Criminal Lawyer, NWA Democrat-Gazette.

Schedule a consultation by calling our Northwest Arkansas felony lawyers at (479) 235-4600 today.

We have had many of the charges listed dismissed or acquitted at trial for our clients.

Can Felony Charges Be Dropped in Arkansas?

Even if someone has been accused of a felony, the charge may be dropped. However, resolving a criminal case this way is not something that the alleged offender nor the victim can do themselves.

When a person allegedly commits a crime, they are violating state law. A prosecutor, working on behalf of the State, is the one to bring charges. It’s their decision whether or not to pursue the matter.

Before criminal charges are officially filed against the alleged offender, the prosecutor will examine the evidence. If the prosecutor believes they have enough evidence to support the charge and seek a conviction, they will move forward with the case.

However, if they don’t feel that the case is strong enough, they may drop the felony charges.

Below are a few reasons a felony charge may be dropped:

• Weak evidence
• Illegally obtained evidence
• Contradictory testimonies
• Investigation violated the defendant’s constitutional rights

We mentioned earlier that neither the defendant nor the victim can drop charges, but that doesn’t mean they can’t request that the prosecutor do so. A victim may decide that they don’t want to pursue the matter and ask for charges to be dropped. The prosecutor does not have to honor the victim’s wishes, but their case may be weakened if they don’t have the victim’s testimony.

Additionally, while examining the facts of the case, the defendant and their lawyer might identify weaknesses in evidence or procedural errors that occurred during the investigation. They can point this out to the prosecutor and show how it would cast doubt on their arguments. With this information, the prosecutor might decide to drop the felony charges because the evidence won’t support their case or convince a judge or jury of the defendant’s guilt.

Contact us at (479) 235-4600 to see what our Northwest Arkansas felony attorneys at Norwood & Norwood, P.A. can do about defending your rights!

Penalties for Felony Offenses in NWA

In Arkansas, felony crimes are divided into five classes, with increasing penalties based on the severity of the crime. Class D felonies are the least serious and are punishable by up to 6 years in prison. Class Y felonies carry the harshest penalties and can land a person in jail for life.

The following are the penalties for Arkansas felonies:

Class D Felony in Arkansas

Punishable by:

• Between 0 and 6 years in prison and/or
• Up to $10,000 in fines

Examples of offenses:

• Theft of property: A person may be charged with a Class D felony for stealing property valued over a certain amount but below the threshold for higher-level theft charges. This can include stealing electronics, jewelry, or other items.
• Drug possession: Possession of certain controlled substances in quantities below what is required for felony distribution charges can result in a Class D felony. This can include possession of marijuana or prescription drugs without a valid prescription.
• Battery in the third degree: When a person intentionally causes physical injury to another person, but the injury is less severe than that required for aggravated assault, it may be charged as a Class D felony.
• Driving with a revoked or suspended license (felony): If someone has been previously convicted of multiple driving offenses and continues to drive with a revoked or suspended license, it may escalate to a Class D felony.

Class C Felony in Arkansas

Punishable by:

• Between 3 and 10 years in prison and/or
• Up to $10,000 in fines

Examples of offenses:

• Manslaughter: A person may be charged with this offense when they are under extreme emotional disturbance and cause another’s death, assist someone in committing suicide, recklessly take someone’s life, or commit or attempt to commit a felony and negligently cause someone to die.
• First-degree false imprisonment: Charges may be brought when a person unlawfully restrains another in a way that could cause substantial risk of physical injury.
• Aggravated assault: This occurs when a person, showing extreme indifference to the lives of others, does something that can cause death or serious physical injury to someone else, displays a gun in a way that can result in death or bodily injury to another, or chokes or suffocates someone.
• Video voyeurism: A person commits this offense when they use a camera to record a person who is in a private place, had a reasonable expectation of privacy, and did not consent to the observation.

Class B Felony in Arkansas

Punishable by:

• Between 5 and 20 years in prison and/or
• Up to $15,000 in fines

Examples of offenses:

• First-degree battery: A person commits this offense when they cause serious physical injury by using a deadly weapon, with extreme indifference to human life, or when committing or attempting to commit a felony.
• Robbery: This offense occurs when a person uses physical force to commit a misdemeanor or felony theft.

Class A Felony in Arkansas

Punishable by:

• Between 6 and 30 years in prison and/or
• Up to $15,000 in fines

Examples of offenses:

• First-degree sexual assault: This charge may be levied when a person engages in sexual intercourse with a minor or a person under 21 years of age and the alleged offender is in a specific profession.
• Trafficking in persons: A person may be accused of this offense if they engage in any conduct, such as recruiting or selling others, that leads to an individual being subject to involuntary servitude.

Class Y Felony in Arkansas

Punishable by:

• Between 10 and 40 years or life in prison

Examples of offenses:

• First-degree murder: This offense occurs when a person intends to kill someone and does so, causes another’s death while committing or attempting to commit a felony, or takes the life of a person 14 years of age or younger.
• Kidnapping: An accusation for this offense may arise when a person unlawfully restrains another and holds them for ransom or other demands, uses them as a shield, uses them to commit a felony, injures them, engages in sexual intercourse with them, or terrorizes them.

We want to help! Contact us at (479) 235-4600. Our Northwest Arkansas felony lawyers are available 24/7!

Additional Penalties for Felony Conviction

In addition, depending on your charge, there may be some hidden costs as well:

• You may lose your gun rights
• You may have trouble qualifying to rent an apartment or house
• You may be fired from your current job
• You may lose your voting rights
• You may have trouble getting jobs in the future

No lawyer can guarantee the results of a case; however, our Northwest Arkansas felony lawyers do promise that we will fight hard to:

• Find a way to win your case
• Get charges dismissed or reduced
• Keep you out of jail
• Keep charges off your record
• Keep your fines low
• Arrange to have you pay any fines over a period of time rather than all on your final court date

Felony convictions can end up on a person’s permanent criminal record. This often makes it difficult for people convicted of felonies to find a job, apply for housing, or get accepted to an educational institution. Although certain crimes can be sealed, many times, the conviction is impossible to remove from one’s criminal history.

Defenses Against Felony Charges

When facing felony charges in Arkansas, several defenses may be used to challenge the prosecution's case. These include a lack of evidence, where insufficient proof could lead to dismissal or reduced charges; an alibi, if the defendant can prove they were elsewhere when the crime occurred; self-defense, if the defendant was protecting themselves during a violent crime; illegal search and seizure, where evidence obtained unlawfully may be inadmissible; and false accusations, where a strong defense could demonstrate the defendant’s innocence.

What Happens When You Plead Not Guilty to a Felony?

If you have been charged with a felony, our Northwest Arkansas felony lawyers advise you to plead “not guilty.” Pleading “guilty” means that the judge will sentence you on every charge – possibly up to the maximum penalties. Being charged with a felony is a serious situation. Even the least serious felony charge is punishable by a prison sentence of up to 6 years. Please realize pleading guilty to the judge means you may leave the court in handcuffs. Any experienced lawyer will tell you to plead NOT guilty. Most of our clients do not serve time behind bars.

When you plead not guilty to a felony charge, it means you are denying the allegations and asserting that the prosecution must prove the charges against you beyond a reasonable doubt. After entering a not guilty plea, the case moves forward to a trial or pre-trial proceedings. This typically includes:

• Pre-Trial Motions: Your attorney may file motions to dismiss charges, suppress evidence, or challenge aspects of the prosecution's case.
• Discovery: Both the defense and prosecution exchange evidence, witness lists, and any relevant information before trial.
• Negotiations: Your attorney may discuss a potential plea bargain with the prosecution to reduce charges or penalties in exchange for a guilty plea.
• Trial: If no plea agreement is reached, the case proceeds to trial, where a judge or jury will determine your guilt or innocence.

Pleading not guilty allows you to challenge the evidence, pursue a defense strategy, and explore options for reducing charges or achieving a favorable outcome.

Why Choose Us?

Northwest Arkansas felony attorneys have had thousands of felony charges:

• Dismissed
• Acquitted
• Reduced to misdemeanors
• Kept off criminal records, or Kept from being filed.

A small sample of some of our felony case results:

Schedule Your Free Office Visit Today

When you reach out to our Northwest Arkansas felony attorneys, we provide a free initial visit to give you peace of mind that we are the right firm for your defense. We have offices in Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, and Springdale.

Contact Norwood & Norwood, P.A. at (479) 235-4600 to begin building a strong defense with our Northwest Arkansas felony attorneys.