Accomplished Montana Criminal Defense Attorneys Defend Your Rights

Missoula law firm skillfully handles serious charges

When you are facing criminal charges that can have a lasting impact on your future, it is critical to select an experienced criminal defense lawyer who can aggressively defend your rights. At Moriarity & Badaruddin, PLLC in Missoula, Montana, we defend clients against aggressive prosecutors who are pushing for excessive punishments and will protect your constitutional rights. Our zealous criminal defense has resulted in numerous dismissals of charges, acquittals, and favorable plea bargains.

Fighting against harsh penalties in murder cases

Purposely or knowingly causing the death of another person or fetus, usually known as first degree murder, is called “deliberate homicide” in Montana. You can also be charged with this type of homicide if you commit or attempt to commit one of these crimes and it results in someone’s death:

• Robbery
• Arson
• Burglary
• Aggravated kidnapping
• Assault with a weapon
• Aggravated assault
• Sexual intercourse without consent
• Felonious escape
• Any other forcible felony or felonious flight

A conviction can mean the death penalty or 10 years to life in prison, so the defense attorney you choose to represent you may be the most important decision you make.

Making the most of your manslaughter defense

A deliberate homicide can sometimes be downgraded to a mitigated deliberate homicide, commonly referred to as “manslaughter” in other states, if we can show that you experienced “extreme or emotional stress” at the time of the killing. This can reduce the penalty to as few as four years’ imprisonment.

Montana criminalizes nondeliberate homicide as follows:

• Negligent homicide — Negligently causing the death of another person; punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $50,000
• Vehicular homicide — Negligently causing the death of a person while operating a vehicle under the influence; punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $50,000

Retaining an aggressive and effective Missoula criminal defense attorney can significantly improve your chance of a favorable outcome.

Track record of successfully defending individuals accused of embezzlement

Embezzlement is taking property entrusted to you and using it for your personal gain. This white collar crime is defined under the state’s theft crimes. Our team has successfully defended people facing these charges, including an insurance agent accused of fraud, forgery, and RICO in 164 predicate acts. The client was not convicted for any of these charges.

Providing effective defense against DWI charges and traffic offenses

DWI often constitutes an independent charge or is tacked on to other alcohol or drug crimes. Usually, it is aggressively prosecuted. To confront this opposition, we develop a legal strategy customized to the strength of your case, such as challenging the initial stop, the reliability of breathing machines, or the accuracy of field sobriety testing. We also take on traffic violations that can result in driving privilege loss, fines, and jail time in some cases.

Contact our reputable criminal defense lawyers to schedule a free consultation

If you are facing murder, manslaughter, theft, DWI, traffic violation or other criminal charges, Moriarity & Badaruddin, PLLC in Missoula, Montana can help. Call 406-203-0569 or contact us online for a free consultation.