Charged with a Crime? Here’s How to Protect Your Reputation

So you’ve been charged with a crime. I’m sure it’s a stressful enough time without having to consider your reputation. But consider your reputation you must! While it’s important that you face the more immediate issues at hand as best as you can, your reputation does need to be focussed on too. Ignoring the effect on your reputation that this charge can have may result in long-term consequences.

Understanding the importance of your reputation

Many people believe that a reputation is something that only really vain people care about. But we all have to worry about our reputation to some extent. You may be underestimating just how important it is when it comes to remaining comfortable in your life or advancing in your career. The people around you are likely to have a different opinion of you, and may even feel less comfortable around you.

Photo by F Delventhal
Photo by F Delventhal

Having a criminal history in your record could also severely damage your employment prospects. It can even affect your ability to get loans! And on the off-chance that you were looking to get into politics, well, you may need to kiss that dream goodbye.

Talk about it as little as possible

One of the first and most important pieces of advice for anyone in this situation is to not talk about it. You need to remember that the people around you can be compelled to make statements in court, if the situation gets that far. So you shouldn’t really be making any comments about your case to anybody. Of course, if a declaration that you didn’t do something would bring comfort to those around you, then you should consider that. But you should let people know that you don’t really want to go into detail about anything in case something goes awry.

Lawyer up – and don’t cut corners

Let’s say you didn’t do it. Then you might be tempted to assume that you will be found innocent, which may lead you not to invest in a lawyer. Or let’s say you did do it, but it was a minor crime. A misdemeanor at worst. Again, you might not think you should get the best lawyer possible. But don’t make that mistake. Guilty or not, strong criminal defense lawyers are needed to help you protect your reputation, whatever the outcome.

Defamation, settlements, and expungements

You may not know this, but there are several further measures you can take in court that can help you protect your reputation. Of course, what you do here will depend largely on the outcome or the predicted outcome. Let’s say, whether you did it or not, that you’re anticipating being found guilty. In this case, you could look into an out-of-court settlement.

Photo by Monam
Photo by Monam

If you’ve been found innocent and want to take strong measures to punish the party that accused you falsely. In such a case, you could look into suing for defamation. If you are found guilty, then you’ll probably want to seek to remove the crime from your record. This can be done via expungement, though usually only for mild offenses.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON

in

Life Advice

Photo of author

Santiago

Santiago writes about the fascinating, unexpected side of life for Unfinished Man. He explores intriguing subcultures, people, and trends that reveal the weirdness hiding below the surface. Santiago provides an insider’s perspective shaped by his own experiences pushing boundaries and embracing the unconventional. His curiosity and passion for storytelling give readers a glimpse into unfamiliar worlds.

Leave a Comment