Being arrested and charged with a felony offense in Las Vegas, NV, is a serious matter that should never be taken lightly. A felony conviction could have a significant impact on your freedom, your livelihood, and your future. Even a non-violent felony conviction can cause severe hardships that you might be forced to deal with for the rest of your life.
Many employers will not offer jobs to people convicted of felonies. Many landlords will not rent to people with a felony on their record. You may not be allowed to own a gun or be able to vote. In some cases, you may never be able to resume work in your chosen profession again.
Being convicted of a felony is not a trivial matter. Fortunately, an arrest doesn’t automatically guarantee a conviction. You can hire a Las Vegas felony defense attorney to defend you against the allegations. An experienced Las Vegas criminal lawyer could help you get the charges reduced or dropped – or you could be acquitted.
If you have been accused of a felony in Las Vegas, you need to contact the attorneys at Adras & Altig for legal advice and felony defense counsel. Call us or reach out to us immediately for a free case review.
Our Criminal Defense Attorneys Fight Felony Charges in Las Vegas, Nevada
Common examples of felonies include drug possession, domestic violence, assault, and battery, hit-and-run collisions, theft, stalking, and sexual assault. If you are accused of a felony, you need to enlist the help of a skilled attorney.
At Adras & Altig, our hard-nosed, experienced attorneys are prepared to fight for you. If we cannot get the charges dismissed outright, we can often convince the prosecutor to reduce the charge to a lesser category or even to a misdemeanor charge.
Unlike felonies, misdemeanors are considered to be somewhat minor crimes. If you are convicted of a misdemeanor, your record won’t follow you around for years, and it will not interfere with your employment and housing prospects.
Felony Categories in Nevada
In Nevada, felonies are split into five different categories. The categories are based on how serious the crime is perceived to be. The punishment for each offense is adjusted based on its severity.
The five basic categories, from the most severe to the least severe, plus examples of crimes in each category, are:
- Murder (first and second degree), kidnapping, sexual assault
- Attempted murder (battery with the intent to kill), assault with a deadly weapon, theft, conspiracy to commit fraud
- Stalking, violation of a restraining order, domestic violence, illegal possession of a firearm, receiving stolen goods, child neglect, computer crimes
- Unpaid casino markers, pimping, forgery, credit card fraud, giving false testimony
- Gang recruitment, graffiti, solicitation of a child, welfare fraud
How Long Does a Felony Stay on Your Record in Nevada?
Once you have been convicted of a felony in Nevada, this information goes on your record forever. Nevada maintains a record of every court conviction that lists the charges, the plea (guilty or not guilty), the final verdict, and the punishment. If parole or early release were granted, this is also noted in the record.
Cases dismissed or where the person was found not guilty are generally not included in the court conviction records. However, other records will exist, stating that you were arrested and charged with a felony, as described below.
In addition to court conviction records, Nevada maintains a Criminal Record of all individuals who have had official brushes with the law.
These records include:
- The full name of the person and any nicknames or known aliases
- The person’s birth date
- A mug shot and a description of any identifying features such as tattoos or scars
- Fingerprints
- A list of all indictments
- A list of all arrests and any outstanding warrants
- A list of all convictions and the outcomes of court cases that didn’t end in a conviction
Nevada also maintains a record of all arrest warrants, which include:
- Personal details of the person being arrested
- The reason for the arrest, namely what crime the person is being accused of
- The place, date, and time of the arrest
- The name of the arresting officer
- The location of the facility the person was held at after being arrested
However, it should be noted that people can be arrested without a warrant if a police officer observes a crime or believes someone has committed a felony. In these cases, there will be no record of an arrest warrant, but the arrest will be documented in your criminal record.
Court conviction records, criminal records, and arrest warrants are available to the public. They are commonly obtained during background checks. Employers, landlords, and prospective dates can all conduct background checks and get the full details of your arrests, court appearances, and the outcomes of any trials or plea deals.
In some cases, felony records can be sealed on request. For example, your attorney can request that the court seal your record, and if a judge agrees, your felony record will be sealed. All information relevant to your felony arrest and conviction will not be provided to anyone asking for a background check.
However, there are time limits before this can happen:
- Convictions for sex crimes, crimes against children, and felony DUIs can never be sealed.
- Category A felonies, violent crimes, and burglary convictions can be sealed 10 years after the case is closed.
- Category B, C, and D felony convictions can be sealed five years after the case is closed.
- Category E felony convictions can be sealed two years after the case is closed.
Felony records are only sealed in Nevada. Therefore, they are only partially expunged. This means that if your record has been sealed, it won’t appear during a simple background check. However, law enforcement and other officials have access to your records.
