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Preparing for Trial with a Philadelphia Criminal Defense Attorney
Preparing for Trial with a Philadelphia Criminal Defense Attorney
Facing criminal charges can be an incredibly stressful and scary situation. As your court date approaches, you may have a lot of questions and uncertainty about what to expect at trial. Having an experienced Philadelphia criminal defense attorney on your side can help guide you through the process and build the strongest defense for your case. In this article, we’ll walk through some key things your attorney will likely do to prepare and important ways you can help too.
Understanding the Charges
The first thing your Philadelphia criminal defense lawyer will want to do is take a very close look at the specific charges you’re facing. Different charges have different complexities, sentencing guidelines, and paths to mounting a defense. Going through the arrest report, police statements, evidence logs, and more, your attorney will analyze the prosecution’s side and start forming theories – where are the holes or contradictions to potentially challenge? They’ll also research related case law precedents to build the right arguments.
For charges involving statutes of limitations, your lawyer may look closely at the timeline to see if that’s a basis for dismissal. Or for federal charges like mail fraud or drug trafficking, they’ll analyze elements like quantities and intent. The more deeply your attorney understands the case specifics, the better the defense strategy they can build.
Gathering Evidence
A huge part of preparation is evidence – reviewing what the prosecution has and collecting more for your defense arguments. This can involve getting police records through subpoenas or requests, interviewing witnesses to take statements, visiting crime scenes, hiring expert witnesses, and more. Building a timeline of what happened is also key context.
For evidence like DNA, blood tests, surveillance footage, etc – your lawyer will want to independently validate results through secondary testing. Any cracks in the validity or chain of custody for evidence can be exploited to weaken the prosecution. For digital evidence like cell phones or computers, your lawyer may hire computer forensics experts to dig deeper for exculpatory evidence or signs of tampering.
Understanding the Legal Process
If it’s your first time facing criminal charges, the whole legal process can seem confusing and intimidating at first. Your defense lawyer will walk you through exactly what to expect at each phase – arraignment, pretrial conferences, selecting a jury, trial proceedings, sentencing, appeals, etc.
Knowing the standard flow for things like:
- Questioning witnesses
- Entering evidence
- Judge and attorney interactions
- What the jury is assessing
Can help you feel more confident and less anxious when those moments happen. Your lawyer is your guide to navigating the complex legal system.
Determining Trial Strategy
As your lawyer builds their understanding of the case details and evidence, they’ll shape the overall strategy for trial. This could involve arguments around:
- Challenging evidence – arguing credibility issues, chain of custody gaps, testing errors etc. to undermine the prosecution
- Alternative theories – developing another plausible interpretation of events to introduce reasonable doubt
- Attacking investigative processes – finding constitutional issues with arrests, evidence collection, eyewitness lineups etc. to get evidence thrown out
- Highlighting inconsistencies – leveraging contradictions in testimony and statements to weaken the prosecution’s narrative
In addition, they will decide if options like pursuing a bench trial instead of a jury, seeking a change of venue, or negotiating a plea deal make strategic sense. Having an in-depth command of case intricacies lets your lawyer make informed strategic choices.
Preparing Your Testimony
If you decide to testify in your defense, preparing thoroughly is crucial. Your lawyer will likely conduct multiple mock examinations with you – first asking the questions they would ask to help build your case, then switching to mimic blistering cross-examination tactics from the prosecution.
This helps you get comfortable with the flow of questioning, learn how to present your account clearly, and avoid getting flustered or trapped by the opposition. It also lets your lawyer see how your testimony may come across so they can offer advice to strengthen your credibility and impact. The more practice, the more confident and compelling your trial testimony will be.
Selecting the Right Jury
Jury selection is its whole intricate process, and your lawyer will analyze demographics, conduct thorough questioning of candidates, and consider many angles on seating the most advantageous jury for your specific case.
In general, they’ll aim for jurors who seem:
- Objective and thoughtful
- Inclined to rigorously apply reasonable doubt
- Sympathetic to circumstances around the alleged crime
They’ll also look to exclude candidates who seem:
- Overly trusting of law enforcement
- Quick to judge or jump to conclusions
- Biased against key characteristics of the defendant
It’s an inexact science, but thoughtfully building a jury can have a big influence on the trial outcome.
Considering Your Options
While preparing for trial, your lawyer will reassess potential options along the way, including:
- Requesting diversion programs for first-time or non-violent offenses
- Seeking dismissal by challenging improper police procedures
- Crafting appeals if convicted to overturn on legal or procedural grounds
- Negotiating plea bargains if beneficial given case specifics and risks
They’ll discuss pros, cons and likelihood of success as options arise so you understand your choices fully. Building maximum negotiating leverage through thorough trial preparation gives you the strongest position if considering a plea deal too.
Trust Your Attorney’s Guidance
Preparing for trial and mounting a vigorous criminal defense is complex and meticulous work. While scary in the moment, you can take comfort in having a highly experienced Philadelphia criminal defense lawyer conducting that preparation and coordinating each facet of legal strategy. Lean on their expertise through each step, ask all your questions, and follow their advice – they have your best interests at heart and want the charges dropped or penalty minimized as much as you do. With an attorney’s skilled guidance, you’ll get through this difficult time and out the other side soon enough