Small Crimes, Big Consequences
Video Transcript: You’d be surprised at the kind of petty crap that can get you thrown in jail. My name is Brian L. Jackson. I am an Oklahoma lawyer with Wirth Law Office, and I wanted to talk real quick about some petty offenses that actually do carry jail time and it’s something to be aware of and a reason why it’s always good to have counsel.
So one thing to be aware of is a lot of traffic offenses carry jail time, including, by the way, speeding and reckless driving. Now, reckless driving is actually a criminal misdemeanor. It’s a little bit more than just a traffic offense, but speeding actually carries jail time. And I know the City of Tulsa recently has been cracking down on aggravated speeding and they will recommend jail time.
Petty larceny carries jail time, even if it’s a very small amount, it does carry jail time. Simple possession still carries jail time. Although typically, they will fine you, you can be put in jail for simple possession. Some other examples, if you don’t pay a fine, you can go to jail for a lot of little petty crap for not paying fines. I was in front of a judge once who was threatening to throw somebody in jail on a littering ticket because they just refused to pay and wouldn’t show up to court.
The lesson here is just because it’s something that’s petty like a traffic citation or some little petty misdemeanor that’s nonpredicate, that kind of thing, doesn’t mean you can’t be incarcerated. And if you fail to appear even on something really simple, the court will issue a warrant and you can be jailed on that. So take these things seriously.
Don’t screw around. Don’t ignore it just because you don’t want to pay the fine or you think it’s bullcrap. You have to take care of this stuff or you could wind up in jail and jail sucks. And if you are dealing with some kind of petty misdemeanor or a traffic offense and you have questions, one place you can find answers is from a Tulsa criminal defense attorney at makelaweasy.com.
