It Is Important To Hire The Best Criminal Defense Attorney To Win A Case
When charged with any serious crime or felony in a state court, you would definitely want to have the best criminal defense attorney working for you. It is of no use hiring a lawyer who is just practicing criminal law. What you want is talent and respected professionalism from the criminal defense attorney who has lots of experience handling your sort of cases.
So this shows that you need a criminal defense attorney that has a winning reputation. A well-educated lawyer is the first point to take into consideration about the criminal defense attorney. Although the law school in which the attorney had studied does not make much difference, it is the better law schools that produce criminal defense attorneys having a better understanding of the criminal law. This in turn makes them a better choice on making arguments to help persuade the judges in your case!
The lawyer having a good presence and respect in the courts is always the better criminal defense attorney to choose. This is because the more respect the attorney has in court, the better the chance he has of negotiating with the judge to win critical motions and get rulings in your favor. In fact, lawyers with a good reputation provide the prosecutors and judges in the court with a clear picture of the case just by the way they handle the case.
It is always better to choose a lawyer who has many years of practice if you are charged with a serious felony like vehicular manslaughter, murder, child molestation or rape. The more experience the criminal defense attorney has, the better will be his capacity of analyzing your case. Moreover, he is more adept at understanding your case with more accuracy than the criminal defense attorneys will less experience. As there is a high possibility that the criminal defense attorney may have come across similar cases in the many years of experience he has, he will know better moves and rules to implement at the right moment of your case!
Choose the criminal defense attorney who has the most experience in your kind of case. If you are charged with rape, it is better to hire the criminal defense attorney who has handled and won many rape cases. So the more cases he has won, the higher is the possibility of him making you win in your case too!
Every town and city will have an experienced lawyer that is well catered to your needs. You may have to do some searching around for the right criminal defense attorney. Although it may sometimes prove to be beneficial to ask friends and relatives for the right choice for a lawyer, sometimes asking them may lead you to the services of their friend or relative who is criminal defense attorney! You may never know how capable they are at fighting your case! Remember, you have to be comfortable with your criminal defense attorney so that you can relate your incident, and give all points related to your case to help the attorney find the loophole to get you out of your situation!
However, in case you don’t find the right criminal defense attorney in your town, you should venture into the city to find the right attorney. This may prove to be expensive for you; however, considering the better chance you have of winning the case with their experience, it would be worth spending the money to hire them!
What To Do If You Are Arrested And Are Innocent
Innocent people do get arrested. You may have been misidentified or just unluckily in the wrong place at the wrong time. In addition to calling an attorney, you need to follow a few simple rules. It is important to know your rights when you are arrested, even if you didn’t commit the crime.
You Have The Right To Remain Silent
First, and this can’t be stressed enough, do not give a statement to the police until you talk to an attorney. You’ve probably heard the words on TV shows and movies, but you do have the right to remain silent.
While the law says you are innocent until proven guilty, you may feel like you have been assumed guilty upon arrest. The Fifth Amendment gives you the right to refuse to implicate yourself when charged with a crime. However, that doesn’t mean the police will ignore it if you do, so don’t say a word until your lawyer is present.
You may think you can talk your way out of the situation. You may think asking for an attorney will make the authorities think you are guilty. It’s more likely that by going it alone, you will make the situation worse. And think about it. If you’ve been arrested, they already think you are guilty, even if you are not.
Stay Calm And Be Polite
It’s normal to protest and even get a little bit out of hand when you’ve been accused of and arrested for something you didn’t do. And when the police question you, they are not always calm or polite. Their aggressive questioning style can be scary and frustrating.
No matter, remain calm and be polite. Do not resist arrest or try to argue with law enforcement officers. They have heard it all. Resisting will make them think you are guilty and could cause additional charges to be filed against you.
Do Not Post Bail Until You Speak To An Attorney
You or your loved ones may want to post bail right away. This may be a bad idea. You should first speak with your attorney, who can help you decide what to do. An experienced criminal defense attorney can review your case and assess the likelihood of bail being lowered or waived. Your attorney can also let you know if the charges are likely to be dropped at arraignment. If that happens, the accused would be released soon without having to pay bail.
Why Should You Hire A Criminal Defense Attorney?
Criminal defense is much more than standing up in court and arguing a case. Most of the actual work involves researching, writing, filing paperwork and clearing procedural hurdles before the case ever gets to trial. Missing a deadline or following an incorrect procedure can greatly jeopardize your case, even if you have a strong one.
Generally, only attorneys know how to access the vast amount of information that goes into a case: statutes, judicial opinions interpreting those statutes, reports from police and various agencies. An attorney has a network of people upon whom he or she can rely to find witnesses, gather evidence and do the real legwork of building a defense.
Would you know how to find the answer to questions like these:
- Was that DUI checkpoint legal?
- Did the police have a right to search the vehicle for drugs during a traffic stop?
- Did the police need a warrant to search the house or do they have a valid reason for not having a warrant?
- When should a defendant accept a plea bargain?
The list of questions that comes up in criminal cases is never-ending. Answering them requires time and resources that most people simply do not have. Your future is far too important to take the risk of going it alone. Equip yourself for a fight by teaming up with an experienced lawyer who will be on your side when no one else is.
Steps Your Attorney Will Take
Once you retain a lawyer, he will take a number of steps to develop the best defense strategy for you. He will:
Investigate Your Case
Your lawyer will investigate the facts surrounding your arrest and the evidence the police have against you. He will also interview witnesses and collect evidence that will support your defense. Depending on the issues you face, he may decide to hire an expert witness to help dispute the evidence against you. These steps will assist him mount a strong defense to the charges you face.
Explain the Court Process
Your lawyer will explain the criminal court process and his defense strategy to you. He should also be available to answer your questions. Depending on your charges, your attorney may ask that you take certain steps to help in your criminal case such as:
- Refrain from using drugs or alcohol
- Enroll in a substance abuse treatment program if you have been charged with a drug or DUI offense
- Take an anger management class if you have been charged with domestic violence
- Attend traffic school
- Attend Court Hearings
Your attorney will help you decide what plea you should enter to the criminal offenses you’re charged with and attend your arraignment with you. He will also represent you at any other court hearings. He may file motions, such as to suppress improperly obtained evidence against you, and will represent you at your trial if this becomes necessary.
Negotiate a Plea Agreement
Many criminal cases are resolved through a plea agreement with the prosecutor where the charges are reduced to a less serious offense, the sentence is reduced, or both. Once your lawyer investigates your case and determines what defenses you have, he may be able use this information to negotiate a favorable plea bargain for you.
What are the Advantages of Hiring an Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney?
There are a number of excellent reasons to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney when accused of a crime. Many cases are won or lost on technicalities. You’ll want to make certain your attorney knows the law inside out.
An experienced criminal defense attorney is connected to others within the legal system. Your case won’t be his first trip to court. He knows the procedure, the courtroom personnel, the judges, the jury selection process and the loopholes.
- Experienced attorneys know know how to strategize, and how to optimize your chances for winning your case.
- Experience helps attorneys spot inconsistencies that can work in your favor.
- If the accusation against you involves drugs, you will want to look for an attorney with a successful track record with drug cases. If you’re charged with a white collar crime, there are attorneys who specialize in that, too. The same is true when the death of another human being is involved. It cannot be over-emphasized: Hire an attorney who has proven he can win the kind of case being levied against you.