Personal Injury in Manhattan, Kansas

Personal injury is a term of art used to refer to the tort of negligence which causes bodily injury to some individual. Negligence can come in many forms including negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in a wreck or some other type of damage.   When you are in an automobile accident and you are hurt it's a personal injury claim.  Generally the person who caused the accident due to their negligence should be on the hook to "make whole" the person they harmed.  This means compensating the injured party for their medical bills, lost work, lost property, and any other types of loss arising from the car accident.

When insurance companies are involved their goal is not to make a person whole but to limit the cost in terms of payout they must make to the injured party.  Their sole purpose is to pay as little as possible.

It's a competent personal injury attorney's job to maximize recover by holding the insurance company to their duty.  When a personal injury attorney insurance take notice and low-ball offers usually cease.    Contact from the opposing insurance company will also stop.

Injured in Manhattan, Kansas, Geary County, or Pottawatomie County?  Injured anywhere in North Central Kansas? Call and a personal injury  attorney in the area to provide aggressive prosecution of the person who hurt you.

Felony Drug Trafficking Charges in Geary County, Kansas

Since the legalization of Marijuana in Colorado there has been a significant increase in the amount of Marijuana that is being trafficked through Kansas.  Interstate 70 (I-70) is a ready means of access out of Denver, Colorado to most locations to the East.  This means that along the I-70 corridor law enforcement is on the lookout for out of state tags heading east.  This is especially true in Geary County, Kansas.   Junction City serves as the county seat for Geary County and the Geary County District Court.   So often a minor traffic infraction along this stretch of Kansas highway has resulted in the subsequent search and seizure of drugs and/or drug proceeds. 

Getting caught trafficking drugs through Kansas will almost always result in being charged with a drug felony.  The severity of the felony could range from low, like a level five felony for simple possession, to high, like a level one felony for possessing more than 30 kilograms.   These felony drug charges can carry a sever penalty as high as 204 months in prison if you have an extensive criminal history.  Often these charges also come with a forfeiture action wherein the State will try to seize any property that you have, including vehicles that may have been used during the transport of the illegal drugs.  This is a major hassle that compounds the problem of your Geary County felony criminal charges. 

When being charged with a serious drug felony,  it is recommended you contact an experienced criminal defense attorney in the area who is familiar with the jurisdiction.  

Eligible for an Expungement in Kansas?

Do you have a past criminal history? Are you wanting to start fresh by removing criminal charges and convictions from your criminal background? An expungement can remove some charges and convictions but not all of them are equal and it is helpful to know what can be expunged, how long you have to wait to expunge them, and what it costs to get them expunged.

If you have completed your sentence or have been discharged from probation, community corrections, parole, or post release supervision, you may be eligible for an expungement.  The severity level of the crime determines the waiting period and can be summarized as follows:

After three years these convictions could be wiped off your record: traffic infractions, cigarette or tobacco infraction, misdemeanor or a class D or E felony. (prior to 1993).

After July 1, 1993 nondrug crimes, severity level 6-10, and felony crimes with a severity level 4 may also be expunged.

After five years some of the following convictions could be removed from your record: felonies class A, B, or C (prior to 1993); or crimes after July 1, 1993 such as, a non drug crime, severity level 1-5 or any felonies with a severity level 1-3 on the drug grid. Other crimes that are allowed to be expunged include vehicular homicide, driving with a invalid license, perjury, using false information, failure to stop at the scene of an accident, and driving without insurance.

But this does not come with out a price, an expungement for one case at the Riley County Court House has a filing fee of $119.00 and at the Manhattan Municipal court it is $60.00. Filing for an expungement of your records does not guarantee that you will receive the expungement.

This is not a complete list, knowing what can and can’t be expunged and the process to receive one can be confusing, especially if there are multiple cases. In order to ensure your speedy expungement, contact a Kansas expungement attorney for a free phone consultation today.

This is not legal advice and should not be taken as such.  This is for informational purposes and does not create an attorney/client relationship. Every case is different and if you want an attorney with Kansas expungement experience contact an expungement attorney in your area.

Heavy DUI Patrol in Riley County, Kansas

As the school year comes to a close, the Riley County Police Department will be conducting a DUI Saturation Patrol on Friday, May 16, 2014 in the Manhattan area.

At a Saturation Patrol officers will be looking for signs of driving under the influence due to alcohol or drugs, as well as other traffic violations. This DUI Saturation Patrol in the Manhattan area is the first in a series of five that will be conducted this year.   

If you do find yourself in any form of legal trouble, contact an experienced Manhattan, Kansas Attorney for more information and a free consultation. The knowledge of a Manhattan, Kansas DUI attorney can help you with your criminal charges.   

If you are facing DUI charges in Junction City, our services are also offered in Geary County and at the Junction City Municipal Court.

Now Defending Criminal Cases in Ellis, Clay, Morris, and Dickenson Counties

From a small town? Found yourself in some legal trouble? A Riley County attorney is now serving the neighboring counties for all of your legal needs. Services include: DUI defense, minor in possession/consumption defense, expungements, drug charges, theft, paraphernalia, evading arrest, domestic charges, and juvenile offenses.  Our office provides free consultations and we are able to travel.  

Our office will continue to provide legal representation for criminal defense matters in Riley, Pottawatomie, and Geary County, our services are expanding to the new areas mentioned above. 

If you have any questions or would like a free consultation to discuss your legal options in a criminal matter, contact a Manhattan, Kansas Attorney.

Kansas Expungement of Criminal Record

It comes that time a year again where a New Year’s resolution means a new you. For some that may mean a new diet and exercise regimen, a new job, but for others a ‘new you’ could mean getting rid of your past criminal charges, arrests, or criminal convictions by getting an expungement.

Expungement is the technical term for cleaning your record.  To “expunge” means to strike out, obliterate, or mark for deletion according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.  In essence your are “striking out” old arrests, criminal records, and convictions when you have them expunged in Kansas.

A past crime, no matter how long ago, will not disappear over time on its own. You will need to request its removal by obtaining an expungement.  Whether you were convicted or arrested, an expungement can be a viable option for you depending on the severity of the crime and how many years have elapsed since that said conviction or arrest.

The costs of an expungement will vary depending on the court you were convicted in.  A city Municipal Court and a County District Court, even if in the same county, will have their own procedures and costs for getting your criminal records expunged. 

Cost To Expunge Your Criminal Record

The filing cost of most expungements in a Kansas District Court is $119.00.  This is the payment that must be made to the District Court Clerk of the County where you were arrested or accused.  Filing in some municipal courts can range in cost from free, all the way to $119.00.

            An expungement can be a lengthy process that you may not understand or have time to complete on your own. With the help of a knowledgeable attorney who handles Kansas expungements, this process can be less burdensome on you. The sooner you contact an attorney, the sooner you will be able to start on the ‘new you’ that you hope to see in the upcoming year and get your old convictions or arrests of your record.

Contact a Kansas expungement attorney for a free phone or in office consultation regarding your expungement today.

             

New Expungement Fee in Manhattan Municipal Court

An expungement in Manhattan Municipal Court is a way you request that your record be cleared of a conviction or multiple convictions stemming from the same case number. As of October 1, 2013 a $60 fee will be charged to file an expungement through the Manhattan Municipal Court.  Previous to October 1, 2013 costs of an expungement in the Manhattan Municipal Court has been free.

Before contacting a Kansas attorney for more information on the proper course of action to file for an expungement, you will need to gather some information to assist in the process. For the list of information as well as more information on expungements, please see our blog entries on Geary County Expungement and Junction City Expungement.

Once a Kansas expungement attorney has this information they can help you obtain a fresh start by expunging your old charges and convictions. For more information and a free consultation, contact a Kansas Expungement Attorney in the Manhattan, Kansas area.