Charged in Nevada? Here’s What You’re Facing.

Nevada organizes its criminal offenses into a clear hierarchy, and understanding where your charge falls determines what is at stake for your future.

Category A felonies are the most serious crimes in Nevada. Murder, sexual assault, first-degree kidnapping. These carry sentences of life imprisonment or the death penalty, and there is no probation for a Category A conviction. Category B felonies carry one to twenty years in state prison. Category C felonies carry one to five years and fines up to $10,000. Category D felonies carry one to four years. Category E felonies are the least severe, carrying one to four years, but the court is required to suspend the sentence and grant probation in most first and second offense situations. Prison is still on the table if you have prior felony convictions.

Below felonies, gross misdemeanors carry up to 364 days in county jail and a $2,000 fine. Standard misdemeanors carry up to six months. Some charges, called wobblers, can be treated as either a felony or a gross misdemeanor at sentencing, depending on the facts and the quality of the advocacy. That distinction alone can mean the difference between a felony record that follows you for life and a misdemeanor that can eventually be sealed.

A felony conviction doesn’t just mean prison. It means losing your right to own a firearm, potential deportation, landlords who won’t rent to you, and a permanent scar on your record. This is why the fight at every stage of your case matters.

Krishna Attacks the Case Before Trial

Krishna’s first move in any criminal case is to find where the government went wrong. And the government goes wrong more often than they want you to think.

The Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. If law enforcement searched you, your home, your car, or your phone without a valid warrant, or with a warrant that lacked probable cause, was too vague, or was exceeded in scope, any evidence they found may be suppressible. When evidence gets thrown out, cases collapse. A motion to suppress is one of the most powerful tools in criminal defense, and Krishna files them whenever the facts support it and presses them hard.

The Fifth Amendment protects you from being compelled to incriminate yourself. If police questioned you in custody without reading you your Miranda rights, or if your statement was obtained through coercion, deception, or psychological pressure, that statement should not be used against you. Krishna scrutinizes every police report, every recorded interrogation, and every piece of discovery for these violations.

The Sixth Amendment guarantees your right to confront the witnesses against you. If the prosecution intends to use out-of-court statements by witnesses who are unavailable at trial, those statements must meet established constitutional requirements or they should not come in. Krishna litigates these evidentiary battles aggressively, because the evidence the jury never hears is evidence that cannot convict you.

Before trial, Krishna also scrutinizes the prosecution’s compliance with its Brady obligations, the constitutional requirement to disclose any material exculpatory evidence to the defense. Prosecutors who sit on favorable evidence, whether intentionally or through negligence, can face sanctions, adverse inference instructions, or dismissal. Krishna knows this body of law and enforces it.

In the Courtroom, Krishna Doesn’t Stop

Krishna is known for his fierce advocacy in court. He is relentless, focused, and impossible to shake. His practice is built on preparation, not bluster. By the time a case reaches trial, Krishna has reviewed every piece of evidence, investigated and interviewed every relevant witness, consulted relevant experts, and constructed a defense theory that can generate reasonable doubt.

Jury selection is where trials are won and lost before the first witness takes the stand. Krishna uses voir dire not just to screen jurors but to begin educating the panel about reasonable doubt, the presumption of innocence, and the burden the prosecution must carry. Cross-examination is where he dismantles the state’s case, exposing inconsistencies, undermining credibility, and forcing witnesses to confront the gaps between what they claim and what the evidence actually shows.

The state has to prove every element of every charge beyond a reasonable doubt. That is a high bar, and Krishna holds the prosecution to it every time.

When a Deal Makes Sense, Krishna Negotiates Hard

Not every case should go to trial. Sometimes the best outcome for a client is a negotiated resolution that reduces the charge, minimizes the sentence, or avoids a conviction record entirely through diversion or deferred sentencing. Krishna evaluates every case honestly. He tells you exactly what the evidence looks like and what your realistic options are, and when negotiation is the right move, he negotiates from a position of strength.

Prosecutors will more easily negotiate when they can see the problems in their case. Krishna’s thorough preparation and experience as a litigator is not just useful in the courtroom. Preparing every case and exploring every lead and defense can change how the prosecution calculates what they are willing to offer.

Sentencing: The Fight Continues

A conviction at trial or a guilty plea is not the end of the fight. Nevada’s sentencing framework gives the district court broad discretion, and the gap between probation and the maximum statutory term is often enormous. Krishna fights at sentencing with the same intensity he brings to trial, presenting mitigation evidence, attacking the presentence report where it is inaccurate, and making the case for the most favorable outcome the law allows.

For clients facing mandatory minimums, sentence enhancements for use of a deadly weapon, or enhanced punishment under Nevada’s habitual criminal statutes, the sentencing phase can be as consequential as the trial itself. Krishna is prepared for that fight.

Cases Krishna Defends

Krishna represents clients across Northern Nevada facing:

  • Murder, manslaughter, and other violent felonies
  • Assault, battery, and domestic violence charges
  • Sexual assault and sex offense charges
  • Drug possession, distribution, and trafficking offenses
  • DUI, from first offense through felony DUI
  • Robbery, burglary, and theft offenses
  • Weapons charges and unlawful possession of firearms
  • White collar crimes including fraud and embezzlement
  • Federal criminal charges in the U.S. District Court of Nevada
  • Probation and parole violations

Don’t Wait — Call Krishna Now

The moment you are arrested or contacted by law enforcement is the moment you need an attorney. What you say, and what you do not say, in those first hours can make or break your case. You have the right to remain silent. Use it. Then call Krishna.

Krishna Prasad serves clients throughout Northern Nevada from his Reno office and is available for immediate consultations. You matter. Your case matters. Krishna is ready to fight for you.