03 Jun What is the Difference Between a Dismissal and a Retirement?
I am often asked what is the difference between a retirement and a dismissal? In short, the short term looks a lot different between these two things, but the long term looks the same.
What is a Dismissal?
A dismissal is exactly what it sounds like; the State dismisses the charge against you. In Murfreesboro criminal cases, for General Sessions and Circuit Court, the District Attorney may decide to dismiss charges for a number of reasons. A dismissal means that the State has decided not to pursue charges against you and will end the case at that time.
What is a Retirement?
A retirement is best described as a delay with a dismissal at the end. A retirement means that the case will be continued, which means we will pick a new court date in the future, for a certain period of time. After that period, if you have complied with certain requirements, then the case will be dismissed (see dismissal definition above).
What is the Difference Between a Dismissal and a Retirement?
The difference between a dismissal and a retirement is what happens in the short term during the first six months to a year after your court date. Under a dismissal, there is no immediate actions that you need to take. Under a retirement, you may be required to perform certain tasks or conditions.
If a case is dismissed, it is over, which means that you have no restrictions on your behavior and no conditions you have to complete. In the short term, you are free to act however you wish, just as you were prior to being arrested and/or charged. In the long term, your case is dismissed and expunged from your record.
If a case is retired, then the case is not over. Instead, you have a new court date, likely one year away, and you have a signed agreement that you will complete certain conditions during that year. If, and only if, you complete those conditions, then the case will be dismissed. In the long term, like a dismissal, your case is dismissed and expunged from your record.
As always, if you have questions about Murfreesboro criminal cases, consult a Murfreesboro criminal defense lawyer about your case.
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