Getting the Justice You Deserve

While large companies often face stiff penalties for illegally dumping wastes, private citizens can also run afoul of the law for dumping in no-dumping zones. This offense typically occurs when you have household waste that your local garbage service will not collect. Rather than take it to the dump and pay by the weight, you may be tempted to take a load of waste to a local forest or other area and dump it. If you've had this lapse of judgment and been charged, you need to hire a criminal defense lawyer to go over your options. There are few defenses to illegal dumping, especially if the evidence is strong against you. By expressing remorse, you may be sentenced to community service.

Waste Cleanup

Given that your poor decision to dump your waste in a public space is an environmental concern, it may be appropriate for you to clean up a public area as part of your community service. Perhaps there's a forested area, park, or dead end in your community where lots of people discard waste. Your attorney may petition the court to allow you to clean up this area as the main requirement of your community service. The premise is that as you work at this less-than-ideal task, you'll be able to reflect on your bad decision and feel resolved not to make it again.

Drop-Off Facility Volunteering

Many communities have facilities at which local residents can drop off household waste on select days of the year. This allows people to dispose of items that aren't collected at the curb in a lawful and environmentally-friendly manner. Another type of community service that may be appropriate for you in this situation is to volunteer at this facility for a set number of hours. It will give you the ability to contribute to your local community by ensuring that waste is dealt with properly.

Environmental Improvement

Illegal dumping is an environmental concern as a legal one, so another type of community service that you could face is a job that relates to the improvement of the local environment. For example, this could include joining a tree planting crew and planting trees for a series of afternoons. This type of job allows you to realize the importance of being a good environmental steward, rather than continue to perform environmental infractions such as illegal dumping. Upon you successfully completing one of these types of community service, your attorney will petition the court to have your illegal dumping charge dropped.