Criminal charges lead to modeling opportunities for felon.
Up until recently, most people would have been hard pressed to think of a positive side to getting arrested. However, the tale of the “Handsome Felon” has changed that.
Convicted felon Jeremy Meeks got arrested again in June. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and various gang-related charges, in addition to parole violations, and booked into custody. It looked like just another sad case of recidivism until someone took Meeks’ mug shot from the Stockton Police Department’s Facebook page and created a fan page for him.
Within a short time, the fan page went viral, receiving tens of thousands of “Likes” along with hundreds of comments. It even caught the attention of Hollywood agent Gina Rodriguez, who found the combination of Meek’s good looks and international notoriety appealing. Rodriguez seems to specialize in clients with online notoriety, counting such dubious celebs as Nadya “Octomom” Suleman among her clients.
According to Rodriguez, Meeks has the potential to earn anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 per month as a model. But will the blue-eyed, chiseled-jawed, tattooed 30-year-old be able to attend modeling auditions any time soon? Perhaps not.
Meeks is currently being held on $1.1 million bail and could face serious penalties if convicted, especially if California’s gang enhancement provision applies to his weapons charge and sentencing. He may also end up having his parole revoked due to his parole violations.
Rather than talking to the media and his modeling agent, Meeks should be talking to a defense attorney with experience in both weapons charges and parole violations, such as Dan E. Chambers. With an attorney’s help, it is often possible to connect with bail bondsmen who will help you get out of jail fast, often at a fraction of the stated bail amount. Plus, an attorney can immediately begin reviewing the evidence in your case, looking for flaws or weaknesses that could convince the prosecution to drop the charges or offer you a favorable plea deal.
It is important to note that parole violations and criminal charges are heard in two different settings. Parole violations result in a hearing before the parole board, and the ruling can be very subjective. The board gets to consider your background as well as the recommendations of the probation department when recommending a punishment, and they don’t even have to be certain you’re guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Instead, they only have to believe that a preponderance of evidence exists that indicates your guilt. This makes parole violations difficult to defend against, and you will certainly not want just any old defense attorney to help you, but instead an attorney with specific experience in parole violations.
