The Best Way to Find a Criminal Attorney for Your Case

If you have been arrested, or think you are going to be, you will need a criminal defense attorney to protect your rights by following through the legal steps involved to win your case. It is in your best interest to remain silent and do nothing to further incriminate yourself by exercising your Miranda rights.

Your attorney will meet with you to discuss in detail everything you know about your involvement. During this time you should be totally honest with him and don’t hold back any details because they could be more important than you think. Let your lawyer decide what is and isn’t important to your case. They will know and meet all deadlines for submitting evidence and paperwork, and make sure you understand any actions taken by the court, or other attorneys, so you know what to expect.

There will be an initial hearing where you will be formally charged with the crime, and advised of your rights as a defendant. A “Not Guilty” plea will be entered to give your attorney more time to gather what is needed to properly build your defense. At a later date, there will be a process of discovery where your attorney will make a formal request from the prosecution to produce copies of the evidence against you. This should include a list of witnesses, police reports and statements from any victims that were involved.

During this period your lawyer has time to collect any additional evidence that can prove your innocence. A court reporter will record statements which are called Depositions. Anyone giving a deposition is sworn under oath to be telling the truth, and could be used later in court during your trial.

The defense is allowed to conduct their own investigation in an effort to find additional evidence for your own experts which could prove that you are innocent. Finding additional witnesses, possibly taking more pictures and interviewing any other persons who may have information can help to explain your side of the story.

During pretrial motions the evidence that has been collected will be argued to decide what factors are admissible in court. Some of the evidence may be suppressed if not gathered through the proper procedures, or is otherwise in question. Pretrial is where your attorney makes sure you are protected for your Constitutional rights, and are treated to a fair trial. When evidence is suppressed, it can not be used against you.

At each step in the representation, your attorney will keep you informed of the any developments in handling your case and ensure that you understand what is going on and how it can affect you. If a plea negotiation is in your best interest, he will advise you of what is in your best interest for you to agree. He will work closely with experts, authorities and investigators to make sure all facts are correct and that everything is complete.

A criminal defense attorney is there to represent you during your interrogation, as well as navigate your case through the legal system. If you should be incarcerated, he will work diligently to get you an appeal. It is not unusual for an attorney to work for several years in bring a satisfactory conclusion to your case.