Asheville Student Criminal Defense Lawyer

Student Criminal Defense Attorney in Asheville, NC

If you’re a college student facing allegations of having committed a crime, you’re probably concerned about more than just the immediate legal consequences. Even a misdemeanor conviction can leave you facing academic sanctions. Depending on the nature of the charges you’re facing, you could even be kicked out of school. You need an Asheville student criminal defense lawyer on your team.

Trust Edwards Law, PLLC

You can trust the team here at Edwards Law, PLLC, to help with your student criminal defense case. We’ve helped students just like you beat everything from drug charges and DUIs to sexual assault allegations. We have years of experience in practicing criminal defense, and our lead attorney has also seen things from the other side as an assistant district attorney. He knows student criminal defense laws inside and out. Let him help with your case.

Why Hire a Student Criminal Defense Lawyer?

For the first time in 2025, more than a quarter-million students enrolled in North Carolina’s public universities, including many at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Though UNC Asheville’s enrollment, specifically, is down 6% from last year, the university had 3,055 students enrolled in 2024. That still leaves many college students in town, especially given that UNC Asheville is only one of several schools in the area.

No matter where you go to school, you need to hire a student criminal defense lawyer if you get in trouble with the law while you’re pursuing your degree. These lawyers are familiar with not just the kinds of crimes most frequently committed by college students, but also the ways that academic disciplinary programs work. A good lawyer can help you avoid the worst potential consequences of the charges being brought against you so you can focus on your schooling.

Charges Commonly Brought Against College Students

College students are just like other people. They sometimes make mistakes, and those mistakes can land them in serious legal trouble. While every case is different, there are some circumstances that tend to come up more often than others due to factors such as college campus culture, age, and peer pressure. Some of the most common charges brought against college students include:

• Alcohol-related crimes: Underage drinking, driving under the influence, and possession of a fake ID can all lead to serious charges. Most are charged as misdemeanors in North Carolina, but you could still face severe penalties, especially given that you may also face disciplinary actions from the college on top of criminal penalties. It’s important to note that alcohol-related charges can also affect older students if they are drunk in public, purchase alcohol for a minor, or engage in illegal activities while drunk.
• Sexual assault: Unfortunately, sexual assaults are relatively commonplace on college campuses. College students are often navigating complex social dynamics for the first time, which can lead to both miscommunications and regrettable decisions. The repercussions of being convicted of sexual assault are far-reaching. You could be placed on the sex offender registry in addition to facing serious prison time and high fines.
• Possession of controlled substances: College is known as a time for people to experiment, and for many, that means trying drugs. Whether you’re caught with prescription drugs without a prescription or a more serious substance like cocaine, heroin, or ecstasy, you could face jail or prison time, probation, fines, and other consequences, including disciplinary actions from your academic institution.
• Assault and violent crimes: Conflicts happen, and sometimes, those conflicts lead to physical altercations. If you’re being accused of assault, you should take those charges seriously. What you view as a dormitory scuffle can be charged as a misdemeanor, or even a felony. Assault & battery and violent crime charges are often compounded by aggravating factors such as the use of a weapon, severe injuries, or prior criminal history.

Common Defenses for College Students

The defense strategy you use to defend your charges depends on the specifics of your student criminal defense case. Your attorney can evaluate the evidence and the prosecution’s case against you to determine the ideal way to move forward with your case. They may recommend one of these common defense strategies:

• Actual innocence: You can claim that you did not commit the crime. The simplest way to prove your innocence is to provide a solid alibi that shows you were not at the scene of the crime when it was committed. That alibi could come in the form of sworn witness statements, photographs, surveillance video, or even receipts.
• Self-defense: If you’re facing assault charges, you could claim self-defense. You’ll need to prove that you were acting in defense of yourself or another person because you had a reasonable fear of imminent harm. You will also need to show that the level of force you used was commensurate with the possible harm you expected to incur.
• Entrapment: Entrapment occurs when law enforcement officers convince someone to commit a crime they would otherwise have avoided. It’s rare for this to happen, but more common in drug crime cases. If you can show that a government agent improperly coerced or enticed you into selling drugs or committing another crime, you won’t be held criminally responsible.
• Rights violations: Even if you can’t prove that you didn’t commit the crime, you may be able to get the case dismissed based on rights violations. If police officers obtained evidence through unconstitutional means like illegal searches and seizures, that evidence won’t be allowed in court. Without it, the prosecution may not have a valid case against you, in which case the charges will be dismissed.
• Insanity defense: The insanity defense is far less common than the media would have us believe. It is difficult to prove and typically still leads to incarceration, albeit in a mental institution instead of a jail, if it’s successful. To prove an insanity defense, you’ll have to show that you were incapable of distinguishing right from wrong.

Get a Free Case Evaluation with a Student Criminal Defense Lawyer!

Plea Bargains

Not all criminal cases go to trial. In many cases, defendants choose to take plea bargains instead of going through the difficult, long, and expensive process of a jury trial. Your lawyer may be able to negotiate beneficial terms, such as reduced charges or better sentencing, if you agree to plead guilty. While this approach will still leave you with a mark on your permanent record, it can help you avoid the worst possible outcomes of a criminal trial.

If you’re not sure whether to accept a plea deal, you can discuss the terms with your lawyer. You may also want to consider the likelihood of success should your case go to trial. If your lawyer believes the evidence against you is exceptionally strong, it’s more worthwhile to consider a plea deal. If the prosecution has only a weak case against you that should be easy to disprove in court, you may want to risk going to trial to avoid the potential academic consequences of a conviction.

FAQs

Can a Law Student Defend in Court in Asheville, NC?

A law student cannot defend in court in Asheville, NC. The only people who are allowed to provide legal representation in the courtroom are state-licensed attorneys. If you’re a law student facing charges, you’ll still need to work with someone who has already passed the Bar exam and been licensed to practice in the state. You can’t just turn to a friend for help.

What’s the Difference Between a Defense Attorney and a Lawyer?

The difference between a defense attorney and a lawyer is that while a lawyer has completed law school, they might not yet be licensed to practice. An attorney is licensed to practice law and can provide you with courtroom representation in addition to legal advice and guidance. Keep in mind, however, that in common parlance, people often use lawyer and attorney interchangeably.

What Is the Hardest Crime to Defend?

The hardest crimes to defend are those with overwhelming objective evidence or strong emotional content. Crimes against minors, first-degree murder, and certain violent offenses can all be challenging to defend due to jury bias and other factors. You can improve your chances of winning your case by working with a skilled Asheville student criminal defense attorney.

Are Criminal Defense Attorneys Worth It?

Criminal defense attorneys are worth it. Whether you’re facing misdemeanor or felony charges, you could wind up doing time in jail or prison and paying substantial fines if you are convicted. Working with an experienced attorney is the most effective way to improve your chances of beating the charges against you, either by getting them dropped or getting a not guilty verdict in court.

Your Asheville Student Criminal Defense Lawyer

No matter what kind of criminal charges you’re facing, if you’re a college student at UNC Asheville, Warren Wilson, South College, or another local school, you should work with an Asheville student criminal defense lawyer to resolve your case.

The team here at Edwards Law, PLLC, can help. We have been in practice for years, and in that time, we’ve become intimately familiar with student criminal defense laws. Let us leverage our knowledge and experience to provide a robust defense against any charges you’re facing. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation today.