If you find yourself accused of a crime, it is important that you hire a dependable Criminal Attorney as soon as possible, preferably before you even begin answering questions for the police. Here are five steps to choosing a Criminal Attorney for you and your case.
1- Be sure that the lawyer you are hiring is a Criminal Attorney, not just some friend of your parent’s who happens to be an attorney.
A Criminal Attorney is one who has experience in protecting your constitutional rights when you are arrested and at taking a case to trial and speaking in front of a jury. You do not want to trust your future to an attorney who has never even seen the inside of a courtroom.
2- Find a Criminal Attorney who has experience in the area of defense that you are in need of.
Although a lawyer who handles assault cases may be able to represent you if you are accused of murder, the stakes are far different and the pressure involved as the attorney is significantly higher. Find an attorney who is used to handling your type of case, has a proven track record of getting positive results in front of a jury, and has shown that they can handle the pressure your case will create.
3- Don’t be fooled by catchy slogans and advertisements.
The attorneys who have proven track records in court typically do not need these to attract clients; their track record and number of cases won speak for themselves.
4- Find out what awards the Criminal Attorney has won, what organizations they belong to, and whether they have ever taught at a college about law.
These are not requirements for a Criminal Attorney to be effective, but they speak a lot to the character, determination, time management, and ability of your Criminal Attorney in the real world. These also often directly relate to how they will handle your case and how effective they will be in court.
5- Don’t trust just anyone.
Even though public defenders do a great service, they are often really busy and not able to devote a lot of time to one individual case. If you have been accused of a crime, it is also not time to be hiring your fourth cousin, twice removed. Make sure the Criminal Attorney you hire knows what they are doing!
