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Dolphins RB Mark Walton to Serve No Jail Time for Weapons Charge

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Miami Dolphins running back Mark Walton has been sentenced to six months’ probation for weapons charges after reaching a plea deal on Monday. 

Court records show Walton plead no contest to a misdemeanor weapons charge.

In addition to probation, Walton must take anger management and driving courses and must give up his firearm.

Walton did have a slew of other charges stacked against him, including marijuana possession and reckless driving, all of which were dismissed. The charges stemmed from a March incident in which Walton fled on foot from his rented car after police tried to pull him over. Authorities claimed they found a rifle and the marijuana in the car.

The 22-year-old Walton played college football at the University of Miami and was a 4th-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2018 NFL draft. He signed with the Dolphins earlier this year.

When you are facing serious criminal charges, such as a drug or weapons charge, you may be wondering how these types of charges can be dropped or dismissed. Our Florida Criminal Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton have successfully had charges reduced or dropped against many clients over the years, and it is possible that we can help you, too. 

It is important to point out that not all criminal cases go to trial. In fact, many criminal charges are dropped before trial after negotiations between prosecutors and defense lawyers. It is also worth noting that only the prosecutor has the power to drop criminal charges.Criminal charges can be dropped due to many factors that can ultimately outweigh the prosecution’s case, like insufficient evidence, inadmissible evidence, and lack of witness credibility. 

Our Florida Criminal Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton also know there is an important difference between dropping charges and dismissing charges. Charges can be dismissed only after charges have been filed. A charge can be dropped before or after a charge has been filed. To clarify, you may need a charge dropped by the prosecutor, or you may need a charge dismissed by the prosecutor, however, a court can dismiss a charge if a prosecutor makes a legal error in the case. Either way, we can help you.

Before going to court for a trial, our criminal defense lawyers can argue that the prosecution’s case is not strong enough to obtain a conviction in what is called pretrial negotiations. This is where we will urge the prosecution to dismiss or drop the charge. The prosecution may accept or counter with an offer to reduce the charge. We can further review the facts and possibly counter back that even the reduced charge will not prevail in court.

A reduced charge is possible when the evidence is not strong enough for a certain charge, but strong enough for a lesser charge. When this happens, prosecutors may offer a plea bargain agreement. This means that prosecutors will dismiss the original charge if the defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest to a less severe charge instead. Our Florida Criminal Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton can make sure your rights are protected when it comes to plea bargain agreements. These vary case by case, and we may advise you to take the deal or reject the agreement if the case against the original charge is weak.

To conclude, there are many ways to get your criminal charges dropped or dismissed. However, for this to happen, you first need to seek legal help from us as soon as possible. The earlier we get involved with your case, the much better the odds of obtaining a favorable outcome. We want to help you move on from criminal charges and resume your normal life with as little damage to your reputation and record as possible. Every case is unique, so we can make sure you understand all of your legal options. 

Make no mistake, getting your criminal case dismissed is a complicated process. It is a process that requires great skill, patience, experience, and attention to detail. Achieving such a positive end result requires hard work and diligent preparation. Our Florida Criminal Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton can fight to get your charges dropped and dismissed to help you avoid long days in court and severe criminal penalties. We cannot stress enough how important it is to secure legal representation as soon as possible after your arrest. The first step will be to meet with us in a free consultation to go over your case and decide how best to proceed.

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