Those facing criminal charges should always work to understand the allegations against them, as well as their rights and responsibilities under the law. No matter what the charges a person is facing, some aspect of his or her freedom is on the line.

According to police, a standoff ended Sept. 29, after officers and a police dog caught a 48-year-old man, a convicted felon, trying to escape from his parents' Lynnwood house. The man allegedly came to the house earlier that morning asking his mother and father for money. They refused, and the man responded by allegedly using a knife to threaten them, according to police.

The couple was able to get out of the house and call 911. Officers and the North Sound Metro SWAT Team were dispatched to the scene. The man, still carrying the weapon, locked himself into his parents' home, and the SWAT team began evacuating residents in the surrounding area.

The man was apprehended and arrested by police for investigation of threats to kill and felony harassment and was transported to Snohomish County Jail, according to a police spokesperson.

While it is unclear what the results of this investigation will be, the penalties associated with a criminal charge or criminal conviction can be severe. Even if a conviction does not occur, felony charges can have serious and long-term consequences in other aspects of a person's life. However, it is important to remember that everyone is innocent until proven otherwise. Not everyone who is accused of a crime is guilty.

Source: The Seattle Times, "Lynnwood standoff ends as man attempts to sneak out of house," Blythe Lawrence, Sept. 29, 2012