Be Selective When Selecting a Criminal Defense Lawyer?

Answer 1

In sports, they say that a good defense is the best offense. The same goes when you have to go to trial because your life is on the line and the only way to prevent yourself from going to jail is by selecting a criminal defense lawyer who will be able to represent you when the evidence is presented.

Criminal defense lawyers are a special breed of individuals because they specialize in criminal law. Hard as it is to believe some of defense attorneys represent individuals who are guilty and will do everything in their power to make sure their client does not go to jail - everyone deserves proper legal representation.

But how do you select a criminal defense lawyer? For that, you have to find someone who specializes in this field. If you don’t know any, ask your friends or family for help. And of course, there is always the internet - the highway of information.

When you meet with the attorney for the first time, remember it is not a social call, it is business. You should ask them straight out how long has he or she practiced criminal law, the number of cases that went to trial and how many times have they won. Do a background check on the criminal defense lawyer. Find out if they belong to any legal organizations like the County or State Bar Associations. If this person is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, then chances are you are already in good hands.

But since this is not enough, find out if they will have the time to work on your case because you could lose it if they are not able to provide a good defense.

You should also find out how much they charge for their legal fees and if they will be the one who will personally handle your case. If they are asking you for a large sum of money up front, leave the office and find someone else right away. If you find the rate reasonable and feel comfortable talking to this person, then by all means hire the individual to be your criminal defense attorney.

You are entitled to ask and have your questions answered. This person should be able to explain to you how things will go and what they will do. Be certain to discuss your case and then follow the instructions you are given.

The ideal criminal defense lawyer is the public defender because this is what they do day in and day out. Although they usually get a bad rap - because they are generally overworked and underpaid, they are very experienced when it comes to going to court which is why they are often used as consultants by private attorneys. Some have even left and established their own firms specializing in criminal law. Will this guarantee that you will win your day in court? Of course not. Nobody can guarantee the outcome of a trial, not even if you can afford to hire a very expense attorney.

The outcome, generally boils down to how well the defense attorney will be able to cast doubt on the evidence used by the prosecution, because you will only get a guilty verdict if the prosecution can prove beyond reasonable doubt that you are indeed responsible for the crime.

Selecting a criminal defense lawyer is crucial, because not being able to get a good defense will likely get you a guilty verdict. You can avoid that from happening, because you should be given time to look for a defense attorney before you are arraigned and are asked how do you plead in front of the judge.

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