Criminal Law Attorney: Options for Your Defense

If you have been accused of a crime, getting a lawyer is a good idea. You could try to defend yourself, but the result would likely be stress coupled with some of the harshest penalties possible since the average person does not know the law very well. Instead of facing the most severe consequences, talk to a criminal law attorney. Consider what one can do for you.

If you opt not to get a lawyer, you will probably end up pleading guilty since that is the easiest thing to do on your own. If you do this, you are at the mercy of the court, and the prosecutor will likely make sure that you pay lots of fines and possibly have jail time, depending on the crime. If you decide to take the harder route and plead not guilty without getting legal representation, you will have to have a trial where you represent yourself. Unless you are in law school or are dedicated enough to spend hours learning the law where you live, you are unlikely to win the case. The result will probably be the same as when you plead guilty, but with lots more expenses since trials are costly.

Hiring a criminal law attorney gives you more options. For example, you can plead guilty without the same consequences as you would have if you pled guilty without a lawyer. This is because your legal representative will probably get you a plea bargain, in which you take the blame for a lesser offense, equating to less severe punishment. In some cases, you cannot reduce the offense, but you can get the penalties reduced, which means that you will still have the misdemeanor or felony on your record, but will pay smaller fines or serve less jail time. A plea bargain is best in cases where there is plenty of evidence against you that you cannot fight, and the results are better than simply taking on the harshest penalties.

Of course, you also have the option of pleading not guilty and then having your criminal law attorney represent you in court. This gives you the best chances of getting out of both the charge and its penalties. If you have any evidence that supports your innocence in the matter, or suggests that the prosecutor's case against you is flawed, you are usually advised to take this route. Once you supply the proof, your criminal law attorney will take it from there to get you the best outcome possible.

These are the basic options when you are charged with a crime. Most people want to avoid the harshest punishment, which is why hiring a lawyer is a popular move. If you are still not sure whether this is the best choice for you, attend a few initial consultations from lawyers in your area. These are usually free and can let you know whether you have a strong case to defend yourself. Such meetings can also help you find a legal representative that you get along with, which is important since your case could take months or even years to complete.