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Originally Posted On: https://sbrownlawyer.com/2021/10/10/facing-criminal-charges-why-you-need-to-contact-a-criminal-defense-lawyer-now/

 

When you first get arrested, you’ll probably have a lot of questions. What do you say to the police questioning you? What evidence do they already have?

And you probably wonder when the right time to ask for a criminal defense lawyer is. The truth is that you probably should be hiring one as soon as the police have booked you. When you get charged with a crime, this is the best thing you can do for yourself.

But you might be wondering why you should be seeking one if you’ve only done something minor.

Criminal defense lawyer advice is going to be your guide through this process. This is especially important if this is your first offense. You need help to build your case to get the lightest sentence possible.

So read on to learn why you should hire a criminal defense lawyer.

Understanding of the Law

Navigating the law and legal systems isn’t always easy for the average person. It’s not always easy to know who to talk to about where your case is in the process. You may not know what evidence the prosecution has.

This is exactly what lawyers are trained to do. They’ll be able to tell you exactly where your case stands and what evidence is already in the court system. This helps them make a plan for your defense.

It also helps the lawyer get an idea of what actually happened. If you were wrongly accused, then the lawyer should be able to use all available evidence to show that there’s no way to lawfully convict you. This can help you avoid going to trial completely.

A lawyer will also understand each offense that you are being charged with. In some cases, people get charged with offenses that don’t match the events that actually occurred at all. A criminal defense lawyer will be able to spot these and help you get those charges dropped quickly.

Charges like that may be dismissed with or without a lawyer. However, it’s better to have a lawyer look into this and actively work for that result rather than relying on luck.

Understanding the law also means that they understand the available punishments that a judge can give you. This helps your lawyer get you the best possible outcome for your case.

Saving Money

Saving money is going to be very important when you’ve been charged with a crime. If you get convicted, you could lose your job. This can easily spiral into losing your home and car if you aren’t able to get any income.

Being in jail can get expensive because you no longer have a source of income to help you with payments. If you still have bills to pay on the outside, then how do you pay them off?

Some people need to sell their homes when they go to prison because they can’t afford the mortgage anymore. The same thing happens to cars that haven’t been paid off yet. Bills piling up from life outside of prison are one of the main reasons for high recidivism in prisons.

It can sound like an oxymoron to spend money to hire a lawyer to save money, but it works. If a lawyer can help you avoid jail time, then in most cases, you should also be able to keep your job. So even though you’ve spent money to help your case, you still have your source of income to help you with that.

It can be much easier to recover from criminal charges when you don’t lose that income. It means you don’t have to worry about keeping your lights on or putting food on your table. And without a criminal defense lawyer, this may not be possible for you.

Relationships With Prosecutors

The average person probably isn’t going to have met the prosecutor in charge of their case. This can present some problems when it comes to negotiating plea deals. It means that you might not be getting the best plea deal they can offer you.

You need someone who knows the prosecutor as well as your case. This will give you an advantage in negotiations since the prosecutor is more likely to hear that person out.

Criminal defense lawyers are the right people for this role. In many cases, your defense lawyer will have worked cases against your prosecutor before. This gives them a type of repour that you simply don’t have.

This alone makes hiring a criminal defense lawyer a smart decision. Your lawyer will be able to use this repour to negotiate the best possible plea deal for you. This gives you confidence that you won’t be able to get a better offer no matter what you do.

Your lawyer should also be able to advise you during these negotiations as well. They should tell you from the beginning what they believe is the best possible plea deal you can get. That way you understand what your lawyer’s goals are for your case.

And believe it or not, sometimes a criminal defense lawyer can use their repour with prosecutors to get your charges dropped completely. If it’s a first offense and no one was injured, then you might be able to walk away without a criminal record.

Assessing Law Enforcement’s Conduct

Unfortunately, sometimes law enforcement doesn’t behave legally. There’s not always malicious intent behind this. Sometimes a new employee simply forgot to have you fill out a piece of paperwork.

Sometimes evidence gets misplaced or mislabeled. And sometimes the police deliberately broke the law while arresting you. But how can you prove that anything law enforcement has done was illegal?

A criminal defense lawyer should be asking you questions about how the police are handling your case. They can also be speaking with the police to ensure that due process is being completed correctly.

If it is, then things get a little more complicated. This means that all of the evidence that they have was obtained legally and can be accepted by the court. These are items that your lawyer will have to consider before presenting your case to a judge.

If it isn’t, however, then you may be able to see some of your evidence dismissed. This means less evidence for the prosecution to use against you if you have to go to trial. Your lawyer will be able to plan better for your defense when they have less evidence to worry about.

This can even overturn a conviction if your lawyer can prove that your case wasn’t handled correctly. If that happens, then the verdict cannot be legal. This is because due process was not followed.

This applies to cases that are currently going through the courts as well. It’s called being acquitted on a technicality.

Lighter Sentencing

Finally, without all of the above, it’s very hard to defend yourself in a court of law. There are a lot of rules and protocols that the average person isn’t aware of. That’s why it’s never a good idea to try to defend yourself in court.

A criminal defense lawyer has experience in the courtroom. They understand how everything in there works.

This means that they can guide you to the right people to talk to and the right paperwork to fill out for your case. This will make the process more painless and efficient overall.

Your lawyer will be able to use all of their experience and resources to examine your case. This allows them to advise and defend you as well as possible.

The ideal is always to have the case dropped entirely or to have it end in a “not guilty” verdict. However, in some cases, this simply isn’t possible. When that happens, the best alternative is to get the lightest sentence possible.

Everything your lawyer does will be to achieve this goal. That’s why they want to assess the police conduct and have a positive relationship with the prosecutor. All of these things are going to help your lawyer get you a lighter sentence.

A lighter sentence means that you might not need to go to jail. It means that you might get to keep your job and source of income. And it means that you won’t need to be separated from your family.

Call a Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

A criminal defense lawyer will help you through due process. They can get you the most favorable result possible from your case. That’s much harder for the average person to do on their own.

You need a recommended criminal defense lawyer that understands you and your case. This ensures that there won’t be any confusion when the verdict is read. You won’t be risking anything to chance when you choose the right one.

That’s why you should hire Scott M. Brown and Associates. We are the experts in family law and criminal defense right here in Texas. Give us a call today and get the best criminal defense lawyer for your case.