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Hiring a Federal Criminal Defense Attorney
There comes a point in an individual’s life where they often find themselves in the wrong side of the law and this may be brought about by another person or the individual themselves. Criminal defense law is a branch of law that offers legal protection to individuals who have been accused of committing or engaging in criminal activities. Such activities include domestic violence, robbery with violence among other types of criminal activities. Most often when individuals engage or are caught up in these kinds of charges, they often wander whether or not they deserve to hire the services of a criminal defense lawyer. It is vital to note that every individual has a right to a lawyer regardless of whether or not they are guilty of the crime they have been charged with. In the event that a loved one has been arrested by the federal agents, it is vital to ensure that the individual has been taken to a court of law in order for an initial hearing. This allows the judge to determine whether the criminal will be put in jail before trial or if they are going to be released and the terms of their release. Such hearings allow the accused individual to spend time with their family as they prepare for their trial hearing.
Tips for hiring a Federal criminal defense lawyer
Hiring any type of lawyer is not considered as an easy process, as one should take into consideration a number of favourable attributes that the lawyer should possess in order to effectively work together with their client.
- It is often important to consider the referrals when looking for any type of lawyer. This is due to the fact that clients often rate their service providers depending on the quality of services they acquired. Therefore it is important to ask for referrals and also get reviews from the different law firm websites.
- The experience of the federal criminal defense lawyer is likewise vital when looking into hiring a federal criminal defense lawyer. This therefore means that the lawyer should have significant experience in handling cases that are similar to that of their client. This is because it tends to give the client a sense of confidence that the lawyer chosen is the right fit for the job.
- Different law firms often have different billing methods and at the same time they have different charges for the services delivered. Therefore it is critical to ensure that the lawyer gives the client a detailed summary of the charges they will incur during the representation period. It is also important to ensure that there are no hidden charges as this will mean that the client will have to dig much deeper into their pocket.
How Federal criminal cases work
Federal criminal cases often commence with the arrest of the criminal. Within 48 hours after the arrest, the individual is often presented in a court of law which is known as the initial appearance. This determines whether the individual will be released on bail or will be detained in jail. There are a number of processes which often follow the initial appearance.
- Hiring an attorney is the second most important step and in the event that one cannot be able to hire a lawyer, then the state will assign one for them.
- After initial appearance there is an indictment where the prosecutor gives the grand jury evidence in order to determine whether the individual has committed a federal crime.
- In the event that the case proceeds, then the individual will be arraigned in a court of law and the charges read in order for them to plead whether they are guilty of the crime charged or not.
- The final stage is the sentencing stage and this is considered as the culmination of the case. This means that in the event that the individual has pleaded guilty, this means that they committed the crime. Therefore the client will be given a sentencing date where the court will assign a specific date and issue the client with a sentencing that is equivalent to the crimes they had committed.
Conclusion
It is therefore important for individuals to know how federal criminal defense works as they will be on the know in the event that they will be caught up in any criminal activity.