When a person is charged with attempted murder, they should be presumed innocent until they are convicted in a court of that charge. Unfortunately, they will often find that they are facing collateral consequences that continue throughout the case and even once they’ve done their court-imposed sentence. These can cause considerable hardships for a person trying to get their life together.
The National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction note that there are more than 44,000 collateral consequences that are because of state and federal regulations and laws, but not all of these are permanent. There are 26,589 considered permanent or indefinite, 4,684 are time limited, 2,721 vary in duration and 429 are conditional. These figures don’t even include those that are imposed by societal norms or professional entities.
Some collateral consequences are only applicable to specific crimes. For example, there are 6,389 that apply to crimes of violence. Individuals who have been accused of attempted murder are often frowned upon because this is considered a violent charge. Once it appears on a background check, potential employers and even some landlords might decide that they won’t work with the person when they see this.
Unfortunately, the collateral consequences a person faces make it even more difficult for them to live a life that’s meaningful. While some collateral consequences are understandable, they continue to punish a person who’s paid their debt to society.
Defendants in criminal cases must consider the collateral consequences when they’re developing their defense strategy. Sometimes, things like being convicted of a lesser charge might reduce the number and severity of court-imposed and collateral consequences they’re facing.