If the moment comes when you are charged with a crime, you have little time to waste in terms of obtaining legal counsel for your defense. From the moment you are put in the police car until your first court hearing, prosecutors will be doing all they can to build a case against you that will result in a conviction. Depending on the type of crime for which you have been charged, this could mean you could be looking at penalties of anything from fines and a short jail sentence to a prison term that stretches out for decades. Since your freedom and proving your innocence is of the utmost importance, always turn to criminal lawyers who immediately begin creating a defense strategy for your case.

Don’t be Your Own Attorney
Whether it’s because you don’t want a public defender or assume you have seen enough episodes of “Law and Order” to know how a criminal trial works, choosing to be your own attorney in these situations will simply not work to your advantage. In fact, it can hurt your case even more in that many judges choose to be especially hard on pro se litigants who try to act as if they know it all regarding the law. By instead using your common sense and hiring a criminal lawyer who possesses years of experience representing clients in court, you can avoid self-incrimination and other mistakes that will doom your case from the very start.

Due Process of Law
In any criminal trial, it is imperative due process of law be followed each step of the way. For example, should the prosecution have witnesses who are making claims that could seal your fate, your criminal lawyer will carefully examine witness statements in an effort to discover inconsistencies about their stories. Once this is done, they can use this knowledge to cross-examine witnesses in court, where they can discredit them in front of a judge and jury. By doing so, your chances of winning will suddenly improve dramatically.

Bargaining for Reduced Sentences
While prosecutors may act as if they cannot wait to see you inside a courtroom, the truth is that is the last place they want your case to wind up. Even in cases that may appear to be open and shut, an experienced prosecutor will still not be completely sure they will gain a conviction once the case is put in the hands of a jury. Rather than risk an embarrassing loss, they will be very willing in many cases to meet with your criminal lawyer to negotiate a plea bargain. When this occurs, you and your lawyer have the advantage, and should do all you can to pressure prosecutors into reducing or even dropping your charges. Should you be facing a felony and instead have your lawyer negotiate a deal that results in you being convicted of a misdemeanor, you could avoid a prison sentence and maybe only have to pay a fine or be placed on probation.

Protecting Your Reputation
No matter where you live, word will spread fast that you have been charged with a crime. Because of this, you may have media trying to get you to comment on the matter, police still wanting to interview you in hopes of getting a confession, and many other matters that can be nerve-wracking to say the least. Rather than put yourself through even more stress and position yourself to make critical mistakes, hire a criminal lawyer to handle these and other situations. By having your lawyer helping you from the beginning, it will be much easier to not only emerge with a lesser penalty or an acquittal, but also ensure your reputation, finances, and legal rights are protected.

More Than One Option
Upon being arrested, you will probably assume your only option is to do what police tell you and confess to the crime, even if you know you are in fact innocent. If you do this, expect to find yourself sitting in a prison cell sooner rather than later. However, once you have hired a criminal lawyer to handle your case, expect to be told you have many different options as to how your case can proceed. By having all your options explained to you in words that don’t leave you even more confused, you can gather your thoughts, calm down, and make the best decisions that will provide you with a favorable outcome.

Looking at the Evidence
To be convicted of a crime, the jury needs to be convinced based on the evidence presented to them by prosecutors during your trial. However, there are many instances where evidence was obtained illegally by police, was not handled in a proper manner prior to being put under forensic analysis, or may have in fact been made up by unreliable witnesses who want to see you sent to prison. Whatever the case may be, you need a criminal lawyer who will take extensive time to look at the evidence against you and do all they can to discredit it as well as witnesses. In addition, your criminal lawyer can also make excellent use of expert witnesses who can give crucial testimony during a trial and put you one step closer to walking out of court a winner.

Since so much will be at stake when you are charged with a crime, you certainly do not need to hire an attorney who lacks experience, fails to thoroughly investigate the details of your case, or simply tells you to plead guilty and hope the judge is lenient with your sentence. Instead, hire a criminal lawyer who listens to you, answers your questions, and is committed to protecting your constitutional rights.