After you have been arrested and charged with a crime, you have the right to be treated fairly while your case plays out. But if you hesitate to seek legal representation or decide to just use the first attorney you can find, the chances you will win your case decrease significantly. From the moment you are booked for your alleged crime, prosecutors are working with police to build a strong case against you. Thus, time is of the essence if you want to position yourself to regain your freedom and avoid having a criminal record. To accomplish this, you should hire criminal lawyers who have experience handling similar cases and are prepared to defend you each step of the way.

Dismissal Prior to Formal Charges
While you have been arrested for an alleged crime, this does not necessarily mean you have yet been formally charged. However, if you sit back and give prosecutors enough time to build their case, formal charges will soon follow. By immediately hiring a criminal lawyer to handle your case, they may be able to examine the evidence and speak to prosecutors on your behalf. In some cases, this can mean a dismissal of the charges made against you before your case proceeds to court and becomes far more complex.

Investigating What Happened
When a crime occurs, police of course conduct an investigation. However, that does not always mean everything police do during an investigation is correct or even ethical. In fact, there have been many instances where police have planted evidence in an effort to put suspicion on a particular suspect, have lied about what actually happened that resulted in an arrest, or have simply made critical mistakes in handling or preserving evidence. Whatever the case may be, sitting back and relying on the information in a police investigation is a sure ticket to a conviction. Instead, you should hire a criminal lawyer who has their own team of legal professionals and investigators. Once you do, your situation can be looked at from many different angles, new evidence can be uncovered, and your lawyer can build a strong case showing why you should be found innocent or have the charges against you greatly reduced or dismissed.

Making the Complex Simple
After being arrested, you will start hearing many different legal terms, have police and prosecutors wanting you to answer one question after another, and be threatened with a variety of serious consequences should you be found guilty. Because of this, you will likely get confused very quickly, which can lead to you making serious mistakes that may undo your defense before it begins. For example, police may lead you to think that by talking with them immediately after being arrested, the charges against you will be dropped. Unfortunately, this almost never happens. Instead, they are wanting to interrogate you without the presence of an attorney, knowing they can use your words against you in court. Rather than let intimidation and fear lead you down a slippery slope following your arrest, work with a criminal lawyer who can explain a complex situation in simple terms, give you sound advice, and make sure your rights are always protected.

Providing Moral Support
If you have never been arrested and charged with any type of crime, you are probably thinking your world has crashed down around you and there is little hope of regaining the life you once knew. While it can be hard to stay positive in such situations, having an experienced criminal lawyer on your side who can offer moral support can be critical to emerging from these situations with little if any damage to your finances and reputation. By being able to talk to your lawyer about your concerns, you can vent your frustration, learn about the possible outcomes to your case, and be reminded that you still have a very good shot at being found innocent.

Handling All Communications
If you don’t hire an attorney immediately after being arrested, police and the prosecutor who is assigned to your case have the right to communicate with you whenever they wish. However, hiring a criminal lawyer as quickly as possible changes all that in many ways. For starters, once you have formal legal representation, all communication must be made with your attorney initially instead of you, eliminating the chance you will make a hasty decision you will later regret. Also, this will allow you to stay much better informed about the developments of your case, since you know your attorney will be telling you the truth about what is happening. But perhaps most of all, having clear channels of communication will give you peace of mind that can calm your nerves and let you think clearly.

Negotiations and Plea Deals
Once you are charged with a crime, this does not mean those charges are carved into stone. In fact, most charges brought forth by prosecutors are just a starting point for negotiations between their office and your criminal lawyer. For example, it is not uncommon for many felony charges to be negotiated down to misdemeanors. If this happens with your case, you could face penalties that are far less severe. Along with this, negotiating allows your attorney the chance to put pressure on prosecutors who may have only circumstantial evidence against you, which can also increase the odds you can win your case.

Though it can be easy to procrastinate in these situations in the hopes police will realize the mistake they have made, doing so can have dire consequences from a legal perspective. Instead, you need to have a criminal lawyer working on your case and protecting your rights as quickly as possible to emerge victorious.

Facing federal charges in San Antonio is a daunting task that can easily cause anyone to feel anxious and overwhelmed. If you have recently become aware of an ongoing investigation or have been charged with federal crimes, there is no time to waste. Delaying in hiring a skilled criminal defense lawyer could lead to disastrous consequences such as lengthy imprisonment, exorbitant fines, and tarnished reputation among others.

Why You Need a Criminal Defense Attorney from the Start of Your Case
Many people think of defense lawyers as professionals who will argue their case convincingly in courtrooms. While this is an integral part of the legal process, it is just one step in many others. Ideally, your attorney should be involved right from the moment you become aware of an investigation going on. Whether your home has recently been searched or you have been called for questioning by law enforcement officials, these are clear signs that it’s time to start searching for a criminal defense lawyer. Having your attorney onboard at this stage means that they can protect your rights while offering advice on actions and statements to avoid incriminating yourself unintentionally.

Since some accused persons may not discover that they are under investigation until they’re arrested, having a seasoned criminal defender at this time is crucial for several reasons. For one, upon arrest, you’ll be scheduled for a hearing where bail amounts are usually mentioned and set. An experienced criminal defense lawyer could help you fight for more reasonable bail conditions instead of being held without bond. Additionally, involving your attorney when you’re arrested gives them more time to work on developing a strong defense for you.

What Happens Between Arrest and Trial?
Several months may go by between the date of your arrest and trial when facing federal charges in San Antonio. During this period, it’s up to your skilled attorney to represent you through discovery procedures such as plea bargaining and pre-trial motions. Plea bargaining helps cultivate positive outcomes in numerous cases but shouldn’t always be the first option. Your attorney should be willing to take your case all the way, including a trial if that’s in your best interest. The various stages of the legal process, including post-trial sentencing and appeals, require an attorney with considerable expertise.

Choosing the Right Lawyer for Your Federal Charges Case
There are numerous federal crimes that you could face before a San Antonio court. These are generally classified into broad categories such as drug offenses, sex crimes, white-collar crime, and so on. In each category of federal crimes, there are unique crimes requiring personalized defense strategies from experienced lawyers. As you search for a criminal defense lawyer in San Antonio, it would help to look out for those who advertise their services in broader terms, say all types of drugs cases or for particular cases like sex-related offenses. However, building an effective defense against charges requires a deep understanding of the charge at hand and its accompanying laws and statutes.

During consultations with potential attorneys for your federal case, inquire about their specific experience levels concerning cases similar or related to yours. Additionally, they should be willing to divulge success rates associated with successful reduction of charges through plea bargaining or dropping charges altogether.

Begin Today
At Spodek Law Group, our defense lawyers have endless years of combined experience handling various different types of criminal cases at the federal level within Texas – from white-collar offense trials to drug possession claims amongst others. So schedule a consultation today with one of our skilled attorneys in San Antonio by calling our offices!