Criminal Lawyer
If you are an individual or a corporation facing alleged criminal offences the first thing you will need to do is appoint a criminal lawyer. The law is a complex thing. People break the law every day without even realizing it. Sometimes small disagreements escalate and end up in litigation. Many people who are accused of crimes are innocent.
Guilty or not, that first phone call will likely be to a criminal lawyer. From minor offences such as shoplifting or a DUI, to major offences such as fraud or homicide, it is important to appoint a criminal lawyer, especially if you are looking at jail time. While misdemeanors will usually result in a year of jail time, a felony will result in much more.
Before you start making enquiries to find a criminal lawyer it is important to understand the process involved and to be able to make an informed decision.
Understand the Process.
Being accused of a serious crime and having charges filed against you can be an emotional and stressful time. It is certain you will have many questions; take some time to learn about the court system and the process involved with criminal charges. The U.S. constitution grants you the right to legal representation and of course if you can’t afford an attorney one will be provided for you. If you are able to pay for a lawyer yourself this is a far better option as this grants you a lot more control over the proceedings and will ensure a more qualified criminal lawyer is available to you.
Remember, you are innocent until proven guilty. If you have been arrested you do not have to say anything that may incriminate you; get a lawyer on board before you do anything if possible.
After your arrest you may or may not be eligible for bail. There will usually be a hearing scheduled shortly after you arrest to determine this. A date will be made for your hearing. Until such time you are considered innocent and the burden of proof lies with the prosecutor to provide enough evidence to show otherwise. You do not have to do anything to prove your own innocence, but a good criminal lawyer will see to this for you. Depending on the nature of the charges, the verdict will be decided on by either a jury of your peers or a judge. Sentencing can include jail time, a fine, community service or a period of good behavior.
Research Your Criminal Lawyer.
A DUI lawyer will work differently from a lawyer who specializes in homicide, so it’s important to find a lawyer specific to your case. Start your search online, there is plenty of information about concerning good criminal lawyer firms. A DUI lawyer can work out of a firm that specializes in this specifically. Narrow your search down to four or five of the firms you see as being the best in your field. Look for an attorney who has defended cases similar to your with good results, make sure also that these successes were recent.
If you search an individual attorney’s name you can find quite a lot of information on them on the internet, some of this should be court records and recent outcomes of cases they have defended. Once you have narrowed your search a little further make a time to meet with each firm face to face and make your selection. It is important that you trust your criminal lawyer, if you don’t feel this way then they are the wrong person for the job.