What to Look for in a Criminal Defense Lawyer
Wednesday, May 9, 2018, 6:00 AM | Leave Comment
Before getting into the main topic of what to look for in a criminal defense lawyer, it is important that you get to understand the basics first, which in this case are the reasons why you need to work with a criminal defense attorney.
Here’s why:
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A criminal defense attorney can anticipate your exposure
A criminal defense attorney will help you to understand what you are getting into. You will be informed accordingly of the long term consequences as well as details on a formal sentence.
Working with a defense lawyer will also help you get a clear understanding of all the penalties and their impacts that are at your disposal.
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They have a clear understanding of what goes on
Defense attorneys already understand what a case entails, including the sentencing issues and other things to do with criminal cases. You cannot go in front of a judge to defend yourself – I bet you’ll start crying or perhaps roll on the floor to beg for mercy. That is why you need a defense attorney to represent you.
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Defense attorneys have a devotion to your case
To build up solid proof of your innocence, you need someone who will be able to focus on your case and pay enough attention to every possible detail of your case. As such, David draper one of the criminal lawyers in Detroit Michigan is able to devote time and resources to you as a defendant.
Because at some point you might need access to expensive expertise such a forensic testing, defense attorneys are in a better position to access such information with ease.
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They have the relevant expertise and skills in the field of defense
As a defendant, you do not have the necessary skills to build up solid proof to defend yourself in a case. That is why you need a defense attorney to assist you with your defense.
Depending on your case, there are many criminal defense attorneys who will work to ensure that you are not convicted. They know how to go about anything and every detail pertaining to your case.
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They are capable of providing both emotional and technical support
With a criminal defense attorney, you can talk about anything and everything that relates to your case. That kind of transparency and openness is essential to help build your case.
For the emotional bit, many defendants usually have case-related information that they cannot afford to share with family members or loved ones. In such a case, you can do that with a defense attorney because he or she can keep the information confidential.
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They can save you considerable time and money
Hiring a defense attorney saves you a lot of time and money. As much as hiring one can be pretty expensive at times, you cannot afford to sail the boat on your own.
They also have a whole team working with them to keep your case moving, so you will be able to resume your normal life quickly. What is better than negotiating the time out of work, fees, fines and other costs related to your case with your lawyer and at the same time save time and money in the long run?
Are you in a situation where you need an attorney to defend your case in court? Well, in this case, you do not need a civil attorney. Instead, you need someone who has expertise in criminal law to defend you – a criminal defense lawyer that is.
Being accused of a crime, results in all kinds of stress –talk of mental stress, financial stress and emotional stress. The accusation alone can destroy you if you are not careful. That is why you need to choose the best criminal lawyer for the job.
Always care to look into the following aspects when choosing a criminal defense lawyer:
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The confidence factor
When looking for an attorney to handle your criminal case, you should consider an attorney who is confident, not one that is arrogant. Yes, you cannot deny that there is always that element of the law whereby a criminal defense lawyer is never sure of the outcome.
Nevertheless, that cannot eat up his confidence in his abilities. The attorney should be able to prepare adequately in order to build a strong case and not fill your head with empty promises that cannot be met.
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Local advantage
So let’s say you have a case in one of the well-known courthouses in your town. The defense attorney that you choose should be well aware of the procedures that go on in that particular courtroom.
Now, understand that as much as the law may be effective in a state, different courthouses have different ways of passing judgment.
Also, consider working with an attorney who has a bargaining policy and is also familiar with the court officers and their performance in court before the jury board.
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Passion for doing the job
There are many professions out on the market today, and law is one of them. I bet you know or you have seen athletes train a couple of times in a day to be able to be good at what they do.
The point is, passion is involved. They love what they do, that is why they have to train more often to achieve their goals.
Well, lawyers are not any different. Choose a lawyer who has a passion for the law. The lawyer should not just do his job but should do it with interest and love to be able to fight for you well.
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Expertise in the field
If you are being charged with a murder case, for instance, don’t look for a lawyer who has experience in defending theft cases. As much as the attorney may be experienced in defending cases of robbery, he may not be much familiar with other cases. In these cases, consider a defense lawyer who has represented many defendants with cases similar to yours.
When choosing an attorney, there is usually an initial consultation time where the defendant gets to ask about the experience of a particular attorney among other inquiries.
If your attorney does not want to discuss with you his experience or gives vague answers, you have nothing to lose. The case is all about you, so look for one that suits your concerns and interests.
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The factor of personal comfort
Can you work with the attorney that you have chosen with transparency and openness? Do you have a good rapport? Does the attorney show any concern for you and want to help you? Such questions are the ones that you should be asking yourself if you want to get the most and the best out of your defense lawyer.
Many defendants are more comfortable with attorneys who look at them as partners in every decision that involves them, not attorneys who see them as case files. As a defendant, your preferences might not be any different. I bet you also want a criminal defense lawyer whom you are comfortable with on a personal level.
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The winning bit
So you have done your research and found a lawyer who is has handled many cases that are similar to yours. Don’t rest your case there! The attorney might be able to handle your case, but on which side will you end up? Will you be convicted or will your charges be dropped?
Consider the track record of the attorney that you choose to see the number of cases they have represented and the number of wins.
In a nutshell, the attorney that you choose should be good at handling cases like yours and should have won a good number of them. This would increase your chances of winning the case.
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The schedule of the lawyer
You want an attorney who will be able to focus his or her attention on you. An attorney with so many ongoing cases would most likely be distracted from your case. You do not want that. As a matter of fact, that might be very dangerous for you because as a defendant, you should work with an attorney who will pay adequate attention to your case to ensure that you are not convicted.
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The defense rates
It is important that you look into the rates that your attorney or law firm is going to charge you for your case. Understand that a criminal case is different, whereby you get to pay for services offered, whether you win in the end or not.
Various criminal attorneys charge differently, either by the hour or a flat fee. Ensure that you look into that and come to an agreement before you start working with the lawyer.
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Finding a lawyer that charges more does not necessarily mean that the lawyer is greedy. As a matter of fact, lawyers who charge more often have higher chances of winning. Thus, you will have peace of mind of being on the safe side.
All in all, you should hire an attorney that you can comfortably afford to get the best outcome in the courtroom.
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